Mon Minou
by Rose.A.Harvey
Summary: 21-Never Again. Putting little pieces of her heart into each sketch, each line lovingly drawn, caressed onto the page as she breathed life into the lines on paper. 100 prompt drabble series with 100 chapters. A glimpse into the lives of Ladybug, Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
1. 1-Introductions

**The beginning of a 100 part drabble series. All events are disconnected.**

 **Prompt One; Introductions**

 ** _Chat Noir._ The name came on the wind as a whisper and he knew it was his.**

 **I obviously do not own ML or they would currently be married**

* * *

He panted heavily and sprung away from the shape looming over him as a bright light came for his head. He darted down a side alley and the woman who called her self "Lullaby" followed him, note after note ripping from her throat and chasing him down. He stopped as he came to a dead end and glanced up at the window ledge above. It wasn't _that_ high, he could make it. As he prepared himself to jump a glowing semibreve caught him in the chest and threw him back into the dumpster behind him.

"How kind of you to take out the trash." The villain sneered. He glared up at her as she raised her baton but before she could use it a blur of red and black caught her around the wrist yanking her to the ground and sending her baton flying into the hand of silhouette standing on the roof. He watched in awe as his savior broke the stick over their knee and capture something that came out of it. By the time he had crawled out of the dumpster rubbing his nose-his new cat-like senses weren't _always_ useful-something white had flown away, the villain had been reverted to a regular person and he was standing in front of a red and black angel.

He became acutely aware of his less-than-perfect appearance, and the _smell,_ he brushed at his bodysuit, in a lame attempt to tidy himself.

"Are you… okay?" She asked him, stepping forwards.

"Uh. Yes? I'm fine." He stared at her. She was shorter than he was, short dark hair tied back in twin-tails and a yo-yo hung at her hip, she rested her hands on her waist, above the yo-yo of death. Small hands. Something in his mind stirred and he found himself internally chanting. _Protect, protect, protect._

"You're pretty talented with that yo-yo." The words came out before he could stop them and he mentally kicked himself as her features contorted into a deep frown.

"It's _not_ a yo-yo."

"Then what is it?"

She paused. "Not a yo-yo."

He grinned. "Right."

"At least I _use_ my yo- Uh, weapon."

"I don't have one." He protested.

She clicked her tongue and walked up to him, he became very aware of his less-than-appealing body odor as a faint trace of peach reached his nose. _Must be her shampoo_ , he thought, dizzily. She reached behind him and pulled something out from his back. A stick.

"What's this then?" She asked.

He took it out of her hands. "Uh, I'm sort of new to this." He shook it, in an attempt to get it to do something.

"I figured." The stick beeped and extended, surprising both of them, unfortunately for him, it hit him in the face, sending him flying backwards.

He landed on his back and stared at the sky, dazed. Her laughter rang through the alley and her face came into view.  
"That was the funniest thing I've seen." She was still laughing and all he could do was stare into her eyes, covered by a red and black spotted mask and helplessly try to _not_ think about how beautiful she was. He wasn't very good at it. Taking her outstretched hand, she pulled him to his feet and handed him his baton, which he took wearily.

"What did you say your name was?" She asked. "Not your real name." She went on hurriedly. "I mean like your, er, well, alter-ego name?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, I didn't."

She drummed her fingers on the side of her thigh.

"Well I can just call you kitty if you don't have a name. Minou, minou." She winked

"I _do_ have a name." He spluttered.

She was smirking at him. "Go on."

"Uh." His prehensile tail curled behind him. "Chat?" He offered. She raised an eyebrow.

 _Chat Noir._

The name came on the wind as a whisper and he knew it was his.

"Chat. Chat Noir, at your service madam." He dropped into a bow and kissed her hand, she pushed him away, but her expression was amused rather than offended.

"Ladybug."

"Huh?" _Smooth._

"I'm Ladybug."

"Ladybug?"

She shrugged. "When did you get your Miraculous?"

"My… what?"

"Miraculous. The thing that makes you, well…" She gestures to him.

"How do you know I don't always dress in tight leather and cat ears? It is a pretty sexy look don't you think?" He pulled a pose.

She rolled her eyes. "Right."

 _Idiot, stop that._ He dropped his hands."Uh maybe like a week ago."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

She pushed her hair away from her ear, revealing a red earring with two black spots. "These are mine. I've had it for about six months I think?"

"Oh." He stood awkwardly in front of her, feeling inferior.

 _Beep, beep, beep._

"What's that?"

She touched a finger to her ear; one of the spots on her earrings had vanished. "The timer. If all the spots disappear, then I'll go back to normal."

He glanced at the ring on his finger, two of his lights had disappeared . "So if they disappear…?"

"Poof. No more Chat Noir."

"Ah."

"Didn't your Kwami tell you all this?"

"My _what_?"

"K-wa-mi. Little sprite thing?"

"Oh! No, he just lies around all day eating cheese."

She laughs and he finds himself wishing he could make her do it again.

"I have to go, I'm nearly out of time."

She readies her yo-yo to leave before he grabs her arm.

"Wait."

"I really have to go."

"Will I see you again?"

She taps his nose with her finger.

"You can count on it kitty. But maybe after you've had a bath?" She winks and he is left blushing as she swings away.

* * *

"And here we have the fourth primary substance…"

Alya nudges her friend. "Are you okay?"

Marinette looks up from her paper. "Yeah, just sleepy."

The door to the classroom slid open and Mr. Damocles appears in the doorway holding a sheet of paper.

"Madam? May I interrupt for a moment?"

"Of course."

He walked into the room and handed her the slip of paper. A boy with neat blond hair and green eyes followed behind him shyly.

"Adrikins!" Chloe squeaked happily.

" _Adrikins_?" Alya laughed quietly, nudging her friend.

"Good morning everyone, I hope you enjoyed your holidays. This is Adrien Agreste, he has been homeschooled until now and he'll be joining your class from today."

He lifts his head and looks around the classroom. A girl in the second row caught his eye, her bright eyes boring holes through his. She flushed and they broke eye contact. _Cute._

"I'm _so_ glad you're here Adrikins, this is going to be sooo much fun."

"Right." He smiled tightly at her as she beamed and fluttered her eyelashes

"There's a seat beside Nino, Adrien." The teacher gestured to the vacant seat and Nino pushed his bag onto the floor and grinned at the nervous boy in front of him

"Marinette?" Alya poked her friend for the third time since Adrien had entered the room.

Marinette gripped her friend's bicep with surprising force as Adrien slipped into the seat in front of them.

"I think I'm in love."

Alya shakes her head. "God help us."

* * *

 **What even is drabbling? I'm drowning in this fandom send help**


	2. 2-Complicated

**Prompt 2-Complicated**

 **She felt her nose twitch and she kicked herself for not being a better liar.**

* * *

She pulled back as though she'd been burned. Chat's hands still gripped her back and she pushed his chest firmly, shaking her head in horror. She stumbled back and the sudden distance felt immeasurable.

"No."

His shoulders drooped and his expression twisted into something so heartbreakingly forlorn that she wanted to hold him again. But she couldn't.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "But… This… We can't…"

It had been an accident really, initially anyway, his lips were soft and gentle and his scent so alluring that she couldn't resist. But the cold wind bought her to her senses and she stared at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Why?" He asked, voice quiet.

"I don't…" Her voice trailed off. "You know why." It wasn't that she didn't have feelings for Chat. In fact she did have feelings for him. They'd developed over the past few years and admittedly, they'd snuck up on her and she didn't realize the extent of her affections until his flirting suddenly meant something different. It had been like a slap in the face; Hawkmoth would definitely use their relationship to his advantage if he found out. Attacks were becoming more frequent, more dangerous. They'd been unable to save everyone in the last attack. People had died. She wouldn't let him be a tool for Hawkmoth to use to get to her. No. They couldn't be together.

She'd told him she didn't have feelings for him months ago and he'd accepted it. But the lines between banter and flirting and friendship and something more blurred more and more with each minute they spent together. Chat knew she was lying about her feelings, her nose always twitched when she lied.

"I _don't_ know why." He reached for her hands and she flinched at the contact, after a moment his arms came to rest at his sides.

She lifted her chin. "I can't have feelings for you." The pain in her eyes was clear but she was proud that her voice didn't waver. If she made things clear now, they wouldn't have to revisit this topic again.

He stepped closer. "You can't? Or you don't?"

 _Danger! Danger!_ The voice rang through her head like his bell. He'd asked exactly the right question and he was getting too close to the truth.

"I don't." She corrected herself, his eyes narrowed when her nose twitched.

"You don't?" Another step closer, his eyes glinted with something she couldn't place and her heart hammered in her chest.

"No?" It sounded like a question.

"You're telling me that you don't have any feelings for me?" He took another step, desperate to put distance between them, she stepped back, away from him.

"I don't have any feelings for you." She affirmed, stepping back. Twitch. He matched his steps to hers and she felt like a deer caught in headlights. He was stalking his prey. Her back touched the wall and she was trapped. The space between them vanished.

"You said you loved me." He accused, eyes narrow.

Her mouth popped open. "As a _friend_ Chat." She pressed back into the wall, begging it to open and swallow her whole. Anything to escape his accusatory stare. She felt her nose twitch and she kicked herself for not being a better liar. But maybe he didn't know her tell?

"I can hear your heart racing." Of course he knew.

She couldn't deny it.

"Why?" His gaze shifted into something softer, more pleading.

She looked away. "I just can't."

"Is it _him_?" He spat.

She felt a thrill of panic. "Who?"

"The civilian."

"I…" She hung her head. "I'm just confused."

He stepped away, the temperature in the alley dropped.

"Confused?"

"I don't want to have feelings for you!" She yelled.

He took another step back.

"I don't want to have feelings for you because it's dangerous!" Her thoughts exploded into words and ripped from her throat, he flinched but he didn't say anything. "What if Hawkmoth found out? We'd be in infinitely more danger. What if one of us," _Dies?_ She refuses to say it. "Gets hurt? What if you don't like me in real life?" He was stunned into silence but she wasn't finished. " What if you _leave_ …" Her voice cracked, and unable to say any more the pair descended into silence save for her heavy breathing.

He could only stare; panic replaced her agitation and her eyes filled with tears.

"Ladybug…"

"I'm so confused and..." _I'm scared._ The unspoken words hung in the air.

"I wouldn't." She looked up; he scratched the back of his head, looking away from her. "I wouldn't leave you."

"You don't know that."

"I do." His confidence astounded her.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, horrified. The late night patrols and stress of her final school year, the divorce of her parents, coupled with the possibility of not finding an internship and her feelings for Chat suddenly came crashing down on her. It was too much. Her tears spilled over and she crouched on the ground in shame. _Why did she do that?_

"Hey, hey, hey." His voice is soothing and gentle hands are tugging at her wrists, pulling them away from her eyes. He was closer than she'd thought.

"Ladybug-"

"I'm so sorry."

"No, I- I shouldn't have pushed. Don't cry please. Please." His voice broke in anguish. "Just...I… I'm always here for you."

She let him hold her as she cried.

* * *

 **-_- I honestly have no idea WHY I continue to do this to myself. Seriously. Please review because I really love them. They're very encouraging.**


	3. 3-Making History

**Prompt 3-Making History**

 **Plagg was unsure as to why he'd been directed to such a young host who was clearly too unstable and too stupid to fully grasp the concept of duty.**

* * *

Choosing the next Miraculous holder was never easy. It was essentially sending someone to his or her death. Especially the unlucky ones.

Plagg flew across the German landscape silently. It had been 50 years since the last Chat Noir. He had rarely transformed, he didn't need to, as the akumas were strangely absent in that time period, but it didn't matter. He had still died. They always died in battle, every single Chat Noir he'd ever encountered and though he blamed himself, it wasn't really his fault. He couldn't control them, he could offer advice and guidance, but that was it. The cycle of death would continue for as long as the Kwami and their host remained at odds. He needed someone to work alongside him rather than against him. Tikki… Plagg sighed she was gone too. He hadn't seen her in the past 500 years and he missed her. Well, missed annoying her. His antenna twitched suddenly and he followed his instinct to a small house. The name Genipperteinga (1) entered his mind. _Maybe this time it will be different._

He entered the house and found his new host.

* * *

His heart was heavy as he tried not to cry, but it was no use, warm tears splashed onto the ground as he curled up in misery. He'd given the power to an evil man _again._ He had murdered so many innocent… And that poor girl… Plagg sobbed in anguish. _Why_? Why wouldn't they listen? He didn't _have_ to try and keep them alive. He didn't _have_ to tell them how their powers worked. Chat Noir was almost always selfish and insolent he used his luck for all the wrong reasons; Plagg never did have the knack for being drawn to an ideal host. A person worthy of becoming a noble Chat Noir.

* * *

The second time his host turned out to be a serial killer Plagg felt nothing. Instead he resolved to assist his host as little as possible. It worked rather well for him during the next host, who died only a few days after meeting Plagg, when he had been trying to rob a bank before getting shot. Luckily Plagg had ended the transformation before he bled out. Or that would have been the end of Chat Noir.

* * *

The cry of a young child carried on the wind and reached him many years later. He hadn't moved in a week, and more than once, a bird had nearly eaten him. He sighed. Another host, another Chat Noir, another disappointment. Maybe he'd observe them for a while first. He stood and followed the sound.

* * *

He'd ended up in Paris. The City of Love. He thought of Tikki, she'd always wanted to visit Paris. She said they'd meet there when the time was right. He didn't believe her, but then again, she had the power of prognosis and he did not.  
 _  
Adrien Agreste_

He heard the name of his new host and he tracked the trace until he reached a large house with iron gates. A small boy crouched in the snow, cheeks and nose pink with cold. He was trying to coax something out of the bush. Plagg hovered behind him, observing. A cat peered up at the boy with dark eyes. _How ironic_.

* * *

The boy's mother died a few weeks later, Plagg's bad luck had already descended on the house, seeping into the pores of the fragile woman, ending her life. The boy cried for days. Plagg was unsure as to why he'd been directed to such a young host who was clearly too unstable and too stupid to fully grasp the concept of duty.

* * *

When boy turned 15, Plagg decided to reveal himself. He had to at some point and he figured he might as well get it over and done with. He'd taken it well, this blonde boy with dull green eyes who never seemed to smile. In fact he'd asked lots of questions, nervously adjusting the ring on his finger every so often. Plagg ignored his questions.

* * *

His eyes became brighter each time he met his new partner. Plagg noticed the way his body shifted and his shouldered relaxed. He noticed too how the girl, the new Ladybug, treated Chat as an equal not an inferior. Any time the two had found each other; it had been claws out and gloves off between the two as they fought for dominance. But this time, the dynamics had shifted. For the first time in nearly 400 years, Plagg began to feel hope. Tikki had found him in Paris as promised, and once again, they could feel their hosts were destined to make history. Perhaps it would be for the right reasons this time.

* * *

 **This gave me so many feels. :(**

 **(1) Christman Genipperteinga was a serial killer in the 16th century. Very bad man.**

 **I believe that if Chat Noir were to die while transformed, then Plagg would die too. Then poof! No more Chat Noir _ever_. Which is why Plagg forces the transformations to end just before his hosts die.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review as proof of your shipping heart! x**


	4. 4-Rivalry

**4- Rivalry; Without a word she lifted the hem of her shirt and removed it, throwing it aggressively into Chloe's face.**

 **Because I know all us pieces of LadyNoir and Andrinette trash want a beach episode and never let it be said that Rose leaves her fellow trash hanging.**

 **You can bet that Kim's the only one wearing speedos. I love him, I have so much love for all these nerds. I think they all low-key ship Andrinette. ;)**

* * *

The sun blazed over the beach, the bright light bouncing off the water and making the sand sparkle. Two days into their 'educational' field trip, their teacher had relented, conceding that it was in fact, too hot to learn anything. And so they had ended up at the beach rather than the Chateau Musee de Dieppe, for which everyone, including the teacher had been grateful for. It was too hot to walk there anyway.

The boys had taken over the beach first. After racing from the changing station to the beach, towels had been flung haphazardly aside while water pistols and balloons had been unearthed from their bags.

Nathanael, who was still wearing his shirt, had been their first target; the poor boy didn't _really_ enjoy swimming all that much, but the thought of Marinette in a bikini (planted in his mind by Kim) had been just enough to coerce him into coming. Ivan's jet of water hit him square in the face, at first he stood there shocked before he felt very self-conscious as the water caused his shirt to cling to him.

"Who Hoo! Take it off Nathanael you sexy beast" Kim crowed at him, dodging Max's fire.

Adrien laughed as Max tripped over his own feet, leaving him open for attacks. He hadn't bought a water pistol; he'd never even _owned_ one. Toys like that, any toys really hadn't exactly welcomed in his house when he was younger. Kim's head whipped up, and at the sight of Adrien's bare hands his face turned into a gleeful smirk.

"Looks like the pretty boy is unarmed." He taunted, holding up his re-loaded weapon.

"Uh." Adrien held up his hands. "Mercy?"

"NO MERCY!" Shouted Ivan, lifting his gun.

"Geez the girls are taking _forever_ right?" Adrien tried to change the subject. "Oh look! It's Mylène!"

Ivan turned and saw his ahem… _friend_ , walking towards the group of boys. His face flushed scarlet as she approached. Kim however was not so easily distracted and sent a stream of water at Adrien who had to dive behind Nathanael's bag to avoid getting soaked. A green water gun peeked out from inside Nathanael's bag.

"You look cute Mylène!" Nino shouted, cheekily nudging the large boy beside him.

"Uh, thanks?" She smiled. She _was_ cute. She wore simple, white one-piece with tassels that contrasted strongly against Juleka's black and silver and bikini nicely complimented Rose's pink daisy themed tankini.

"Adrikins!" A collective groan rose from the boys as Chloe skipped over to them in a yellow monstrosity that barely covered everything it needed to. Sabrina hurried after her friend, panting, in an unassuming gray one-piece, carrying an oversized umbrella and a chair. Chloe pressed herself to Adrien's side and clung to him. He fidgeted uncomfortably at the contact. "You look _fabulous_ in black." She touched the waistband of his black and gold shorts and he sprung away from her as though she'd electrocuted him. She didn't notice-or didn't care about- his obvious discomfort and stepped closer.

"Is it one of your father's designs?"

"Uh well yeah…"

"It definitely looks good on you Adrien." She winked and turned on her friend. "Sabrina I need _shade_." She snapped her fingers and stalked off to find the perfect place for Adrien to watch her sunbathe. Her thought process being that definitely wouldn't be able to resist her in this kind of outfit.

 _She'll be back_. Thought Adrien with a shudder. A stream of water hitting his back interrupted his thoughts and he turned, Nathanael's water gun in hand.

* * *

"Come _on_ Marinette. It can't be that bad." Alix pleaded with her friend behind the door. "I want to go swimming."

Alya tapped the door causing Marinette to jump. "We'll leave you behind!" She threatened. The door opened and Marinette stepped out… with an oversized shirt covering her swimsuit. Alix groaned, slapping a palm to her forehead while Alya rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?" Alix fumed. "I _hate_ shopping and I shopped with your for two _whole_ hours so you could find one that we thought Adrien would like _then_ you decided to make your own and now you're not even going to _wear_ it? Are you _kidding?_ I had blisters on my feet for a week! _"_

"It doesn't fit right." Her excuse sounded pathetic even to her.

"I don't believe that for a second Mari, you're the one who made it." Alya pointed out.

"It's too revealing." Marinette mumbled in horror, her cheeks burning, she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She had changed her mind about wearing a two-piece.

"That's the point!" Alix waved her hands at her friend. "You shouldn't be hiding anything anyway! You're hot! I'd date you! Now take it off!"

"I don't…"

"Don't worry about it. Grab your stuff and let's go."

Alya grabbed Alix by the arm, leaving Marinette alone in the changing room before she realized her friends were leaving without her.

"What's the big deal?" Alix grumbled. "I need them to get together, it's physically painful to watch them everyday. And this is the perfect opportunity for Adrien to see what he's missing!"

"She'll want to swim eventually and then she'll have to take it off. We've just got to wait it out. Besides, taking her shirt off is sure to get some kind attention right? Even if it's not from Adrien." Alya winked.

The two had become closer after they realized their mutual desire for Adrien and Marinette to get together. Admittedly almost everyone in the class wanted the two of them together and currently had bets on who would ask who out, but Alix and Alya had taken it into their own hands to get stuff done and get the two together. With help from "The insider" aka Nino, who incidentally had money on Marinette making the move on Adrien first.

The three girls made their way down to the makeshift war zone, Kim and Max had teamed up while Nino and Adrien defended themselves. Nathanael sat further away from them, out of the firing line, as he doodled in his notebook and Ivan was sitting beside Mylène, struggling to keep eye contact.

"Looking good Alix!" Kim waved at his gym buddy before a water bomb sailed into his face, causing him to stagger backwards. "Watch it Agreste!" He shouted, shaking his fist playfully, while the blonde boy laughed manically, surprising everyone, as it was such a different type of laugh from the subdued chuckle he used at school.

* * *

The sun grew hotter during the day, ice cream and cold drinks were shared and Marinette still hadn't taken off her baggy shirt, much to the dismay of Alix, Alya, Nathanael and Adrien (though he would _never_ admit that he was curious about what kind of swimwear she would wear).

The boys had picked up their water fight from earlier, with more vigor after a cold snack and a rest.

"You'll kick yourself if you don't enjoy today because you're shy." Mylène had said to her. "No one will mind if you've got a little bit of flub."

Marinette had laughed and thanked her friend for the advice. But it wasn't the "flub" she was worried about. It was the pattern of silver scars that crisscrossed her body like chains that had come with years of fighting. It was the large, ugly purple bruise on her left shoulder that had come from falling down stairs during her last battle. It was the fact that her years of being a superhero had left her stomach hard and muscular instead of smooth and flat, like a girl _should_ be. Her super-persona had stolen the softness of her waist and had dimmed the curve of her hips. Her body wasn't feminine and that bothered her.

"Marinette!" Rose called to her from the water. "It's really nice! Aren't you going to swim?"  
"Uh… No. No I'm fine."

She could see her friends' shoulders sag with disappointment, but Rose wasn't the kind to pry. Chloe however, was the kind of girl to make everyone's business her business.

"Can't you swim?" Chloe sneered. Marinette froze and turned before wished she hadn't because the light glaring off Chloe's ridiculous yellow, rhinestone covered bikini, that was obviously not designed for swimming, was making it hard to give her a dirty look.

Chloe had spoken loudly and the boys had heard. Kim and Ivan shuffled forwards, ready to defend Marinette if she needed them and Adrien tensed, unsure how to diffuse the situation.

"I _can_ swim."

"Oh, so you're just worried about your figure?" She laughed. "Don't worry about being fat. No one is looking at you anyway." She lowered her voice. " _Adrien_ isn't looking at you."

"I am not fat." Marinette hissed. Unaware that the boys had stopped to watch.

"Well, why don't you just take off your ugly shirt and show us then? Or have you eaten too much at papa's infested bakery?" Her lip curled cruelly as Marinette's face contorted into a scowl. Without a word she lifted the hem of her shirt and removed it in one motion, throwing it aggressively into Chloe's face.

Her swimsuit consisted of a modest black and red spotted two-piece. The wide strap looped over her shoulder and came to rest at the other side of her body while a short skirt dropped down from her hips, a white ribbon had been threaded into the waistband, coming to a cute little bow at the back.

Adrien's mouth had opened when she lifted the hem on her shirt, trying unsuccessfully to not stare. But his eyes widened in shock at the large bruise that spread across her shoulders. It was clear now why she didn't want to be seen in a swimsuit.

"I'm going for a swim." She smirked at Chloe's gaping mouth and stalked off to the water, her chin high in the air.

It wasn't until she emerged from the water that it became clear to the boys _why_ Chloe had been so shocked at Marinette's, uh, undressing. She had _abs._ Her stomach was toned and firm with a glimpse of hard abdominal muscles beneath her skin that tightened when she walked. Adrien's mouth popped open in surprise for a second time. Tiny, sweet, precious, _clumsy_ Marinette looked to be fitter than most of the boys. He gulped as she and Alix approached the boys, dimly he registered Nino and Max snickering behind him, but it wasn't like he was the _only_ one who was impressed, Nathanael was staring too. … Wait was he staring? At _Marinette_? The cute girl who sat behind him, so shy she could barely string a sentence together?

He shook his head, but he just couldn't take his eyes off her, water dripped from her hair and rolled off her shoulders, tracing a trail down the curve of her spine. He couldn't remember how to breathe.

He watched her remove the bands holding her twin tails, her hair curled at the ends from the water as she chatted to Alix, seemingly oblivious to the stares of both him and Nathanael. Alix, however had noticed. She caught Adrien's eye and smirked, raising an eyebrow at him before he hurriedly looked away and focused on something else.

"Hey can we sit here?" Alix chirped.

"Sure." Nino stood up. "Max, weren't we gonna get drinks before?"

"Huh?" Max adjusted his glasses and looked up at Nino. "We were?"

"Yeah." Nino winked, out of sight from Marinette, but Adrien had caught it and scowled at his friend.

"Oh yeah!" Max caught on and stood, brushing the sand from his shorts. "Do you girls want anything?"

"Water. I'll pay you back tomorrow."

"I'll come too. I want to see what flavours of water they have." Alya, Max and Nino left the four of them sitting there as they hurried off. Hopefully Alix could distract Nathanael and Adrien and Marinette would be able to confess and get together and Nino would be 50 euros richer.

Marinette, still reeling from her embarrassment from essentially stripping in front of everyone, did not register that she was sitting beside Adrien until Alix attempted to draw her into the conversation.

"Marinette." The girl jumped.

"What?"

"I _said_ don't you think Adrien looks good in black?"

"Adrien?"

"Yes Adrien." Alix tried not to roll her eyes. _For God's sake.  
_  
"Doesn't he look good in every colour?"

Alix coughed and Adrien was surprised at the ready admission by the shy girl beside him.

"Thanks." He said before kicking himself at his totally lame response.

She froze, she had been completely unaware that he was there and had now embarrassed herself in front of him.

"I- Uh- Um-" Her words failed her and her face grew hot as his eyes locked into hers.

"Nathanael come for a swim with me!" Alix suddenly dragged the protesting boy off to the water.

Adrien was suddenly struck by how attractive Marinette was with her hair down. It gave her face a softer look and bought out the blue in her eyes. His breath caught as she shifted, arms tensing for a split second before relaxing again. The light snaked around her and he noticed silver lines cutting into her skin at different angles, varying in length and shades of silver, he realized what they were with a jolt. _Scars._ He had some too. Maybe that was why she didn't want to swim? Was she ashamed? Embarrassed? She had no reason to be, she was beautiful, even with the scars. …

 _Beautiful?_

 _..._

 _Was she beautiful?_ He watched as she pushed the hair out of her face and he caught sight of freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose, they suited her. He couldn't decide if it was funny or sad that he'd known for years and he'd never once noticed she had them. Maybe he hadn't been looking, really looking at her. Or maybe he was sitting close enough that he could see all the details that you couldn't notice in a person when you were sitting a row away. She had always been a row away. He became conscious of the fact the he was staring and searched for a conversations starter.

"You look nice." _What. An. idiot._

Her face burned. "T-T-Thank you." She looked away.

"I meant your swimsuit." _What? That sounded like you think she's ugly!_ "I mean…" _What the hell are you doing Adrien? Get a grip man!_ Why couldn't he speak properly? "I mean, you look really cute in that swimsuit, is it a design of yours?" _There you go._ His internal voice sighed with relief.

Her blush subsided slightly and she looked up at him, eyes gleaming. "Yes! It was my first swimsuit design and I'm really happy it turned out the way it did! I've never done one before see and I was really worried that it wouldn't work, the fabric is pretty different to what I'm used to and I had a few different designs before settling on this one."

 _She didn't stutter once_ he thought before smiling at her. "It's very cute."

Her whole face lit up in a blush. "T-T-Thanks." _And we're back to normal. Think Adrien, there's got to be something that you can talk to her about that won't make her even more terrified of you._ His eyes had been roaming her shoulder, unconsciously thinking about how soft her skin looked before he caught sight of something sitting there.

"Ladybug!" He said loudly, startling her.

"What?" Marinette began to panic. She had chosen the print on purpose to give herself something to laugh about during the day. She didn't think anyone would guess her identity from a _bikini.  
_  
"Sorry. On your shoulder." He lifted a finger and the beetle crawled onto it. Her shoulders slumped in relief. Adrien looked at the bug and then Marinette. "You're a Ladybug." He said.  
Panic set in again as she tried to fumble her way through an answer. _Lord, what this boy does to me. So beautiful, but fate is a cruel mistress, now he knows my identity and…_ Then she realized, he'd said _a_ Ladybug not _the_ Ladybug. She peered up at him through her bangs. "You mean my design?" She asked cautiously, touching her skirt. The ladybug flew away and he looked at her quizzically before responding.  
"What else could I mean?"  
"Oh, no, I… Yes I am."  
"You are what?"  
"A Ladybug." She stressed the 'a' with a little more force than she needed.

He grinned, her emphasis had not gone unnoticed, but he couldn't think why she was so determined to point out the fact that she wasn't his Lady. "So you're _not_ the masked hero who saves Paris?" He asked cheekily.

Her heart raced anxiously before she realized he was teasing her. How rude. How insolent. And kind of cute. "I might be." She smirked playfully at him, her blush betraying her only slightly

"Adrikins!" Nino trotted over, holding two bottles of water. "Here. I thought you might be _thirsty_." Adrien scowled at his grinning friend before snatching the water from him.

"Don't call me that." He complained. _And don't say thirsty like that. She's already petrified of me, don't make it worse._ He glanced over at the girl beside him. The water in her hair made it look like it was glittering and the corner of her mouth turned upwards naturally, giving her face a kind appearance. She _was_ beautiful. How had he not noticed before? Her eyes glinted with laughter, following her gaze he saw Chloe completely drenched in water, stomping away angrily from Kim, Ivan and Max who, judging by their laughter, were responsible for her current sate.

"Sabrina!"

* * *

 **Please review. Leave a nice warm fuzzy for me? What's going good? What's not? Which part did you like the most? What ships do you want to see in the next 96 chapters?**

 **"Doodled" has got to be _the_ stupidest word I've ever seen in my life.**

 ***Aggressively ships Kim and Max***

 **Prompt 5-Unbreakable**


	5. 5-Unbreakable

**Should be sleeping… But instead here comes the trash train!**

 **Mon Dieu-My God**

* * *

She cradled his head in her lap, hands frantically running over his face, his arms, his chest, checking for more injuries, assuring herself that he was really okay. And he was, sort of, but he wanted to take advantage her kindness a little more before she eventually decided that he didn't _really_ need medical attention which would lead to her retiring for the night.

"Mon Dieu, you're so stupid, Chat." Her voice sounded broken and his heart ached at the sound. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she hurried to catch it before he noticed. He opened his eyes to look at her as she hastened to rearrange her features into a more neutral expression.

"It was an… Improvised plan?" He offered sheepishly. He'd taken the hit _again_ and it was getting ridiculous. It really was. Memories of nightmares she'd had about this resurfaced, playing out vividly in her mind. Chat's broken body on the pavement after she'd failed to catch him mid-fall. Chat disappearing into nothing after the Time Breaker incident; his mouth set in a determined line as her curled his body over her protectively. Chat's blood covering her hands, dripping onto the floor as she tried to stich his skin back together with shaking hands and hot tears that blurred her vision after a vicious butcher-themed Akuma had come after them. Chat, burning to death in the flames from the fire that had broken out downstairs in her family bakery, where he'd found her under the bench, cowering in fear. Some of them were real and some of them were not, waking was little comfort because though her parents woke her when she screamed, soothing her hair, telling her it was only a dream, she knew they were wrong. They weren't just dreams. They were _real_ and she knew _,_ she _knew_ (how could she not?) that he would do it over and over again until the attacks stopped or he died. Whichever came first. And she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him except patch up his broken body, lecture him and later, cry herself to sleep.

She rolled her eyes at him, desperately trying to keep her face blank. She didn't want her concern to be obvious because then he would fuss over _her_ , making sure _she_ was okay. As if she was ever in true danger when he was around. Her watery eyes betrayed her. "It _wasn't_ a plan. And even if it was, that doesn't mean it wasn't reckless and stupid."

He frowned at her for a moment _._ "I was thinking of your safety."

"No, you weren't thinking. You never think these things through." She punctuated each 't' with a reproving, but gentle bop on the nose. "You were lucky this time, but next time you might not be."

" _I_ don't need to be lucky." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I have _you_ to be lucky for me. My lovely, lucky charm. Lady Luck herself." He giggled and patted her cheek. He felt light-headed.

She clicked her tongue. "You're delusional. I _knew_ that hit was serious." She brushed his hair out of his eyes. "But seriously, do you have a hero complex or something?"

"No. Don't worry about me My Lady." He pounded a fist to his chest and he fought back a wince. Maybe he was a little sore. Just a little. "I'm unbreakable." He smirked up at her.

"I don't understand why you keep doing this to yourself." Her voice was soft. She gently caressed the spot above his eyebrow, eyes never straying from his face even when he closed his eyes.

He sighed dramatically _. Why couldn't I have fallen in love with someone who wasn't so dense? She's so clueless it hurts. … This feels nice._ She'd become freer with her touches in the past few months, pushes and punches became gentler and her hands lingered just a little longer than was required. Occasionally she'd run her fingers through his hair to comfort him when he was sad, and then… And then, sometimes, she'd hug him. He hadn't picked up on a pattern just yet, as to when and why, but sometimes she would wrap her arms around him like he was her only anchor to the world and she might float away if she let go, it was then he had to fight the urge to purr. He made a contented noise somewhere in the back of his throat unfortunately she mistook it for a sign of discomfort.

"Sorry." She hastily withdrew her hand from his face. _Come back._ "Ah your lip is busted." She trailed her fingers down his cheekbones to the cut on his lip, wiping away excess blood. He winced. If she noticed it was tinged with spit, she didn't comment.

"Occupational hazard." He waved away her concern. "You're fine right?" His gaze travelled over her figure and she suppressed a shiver. As of late, his gazes were prolonged, more open, more piercing, sometimes it felt like he was trying to figure something out, other times it would feel like he was waiting for her to falter so he could pounce. He raised his hand and touched her cheek where a red mark was clearly visible on her face, she knew it would bruise but the years of scars and bruises had vastly improved her make-up techniques.

 _Again with the worry, seriously think about yourself for once. You idiot._

She hummed an affirmative and stroked his chin thoughtfully with her thumb. She hadn't expected his skin to be so soft. The past year his face had aged some, his cheeks losing their roundness and she supposed eventually stubble would grow on his face. She wondered if he would grow a beard or not. Probably not she decided. But then… he would probably be proud of it… She would _not_ have a partner with a beard. She'd shave it off herself if she had to. Ivan had begun growing facial hair too, and though the stubble was gross and uneven he refused to shave it off, wearing it proudly like a medal. She snorted in amusement.

"My Lady?" Chat asked in confusion.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, covering up her thoughts.

"What? This?" He gestured to his face. "Not really."

She grinned playfully and bopped his nose. "I guess I don't have to kiss it better then."

His jaw slacked and he sat up faster than she expected. He stared at her for a moment, gauging her mood before pouting and bringing a hand up to his lip in pretend pain.

"Ah my Lady, it hurts." He whimpered. He wasn't exactly keen on getting a kiss this way, but if she was offering…

"Looks like you're back to normal then." She snapped the first aid kit closed and stood up. "If you can still mess around, then the pain can't be that bad can it?"

She readied her compact to leave for the night, pausing only to giggle at the growl of frustration let out by her partner. She swung away and Chat called out after her.

"I just can't win with you can I?"

* * *

 **I know I keep asking, but please leave a review; they really do keep me motivated and happy! Did everyone else watch the Horrificator? How good was it? :3**

 **Prompt 6-Obession**


	6. 6-Obsession

**The thunder is really loud and nice and I couldn't help but write! :3**

 **Please see the author note at the end of the chapter to see the translation, I'm afraid Latin and French aren't my strong points, but I did my best, so I hope you'll get the gist of what I was going for by reading the translation.**

 **My profile page now contains an index for Mon Minou.**

 **Prompt 6-Obession**

 **He had planned to take them out one by one, but his desire for the epicenter of the Miraculous, the strongest of the eight the Yin and Yang, Good luck and Bad Luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir had become an insatiable thirst**

* * *

He denied his obsession with the Miraculous. He had simply decided to pursue something and that was the end of it. He was dedicated. _Desperate_. He shook his head. He was not desperate. Occasionally he'd hear the faint whisper of the Pink Kwami that had approached him all those years ago. _Stop this. Don't hurt my friends._ She was what prevented him from going after the Miraculous himself. Sometimes the Kwami resisted and he was unable to control his own body as it tried to expel the evil that had been planted within his soul without success. He was still in control. For now.

It had been seven years since he first learned of the existence of the Miraculous and he'd succeeded in locating two in Paris and a third and fourth in Venice, Italy and Turtle Beach in Arabia. The fifth, sixth and seventh were more elusive, he had only been able to determine the existence of one in Australia and another in China. He had planned to take them out one by one, but his desire for the epicenter of the Miraculous, the strongest of the eight the Yin and Yang, Good Luck and Bad Luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir had become an insatiable thirst. He _needed_ all eight to become truly powerful and those _brats_ , those _children_ were somehow able the thwart his plots every _damn_ time.

It had become shameful really. He relied too much on the Mayor's daughter to elicit negative reactions in his next victims. He paid her handsomely, but it wasn't the money she was ultimately interested in. It was his son. He wasn't entirely sure how she had discovered his involvement in the Akuma attacks, but she had become aware sometime last year, and to her credit was astonishingly professional about the whole thing. 150 euros every fortnight and an invite to every Agreste event at which Adrien would appear. Her fixation on his son rivaled his own obsession with the Miraculous. She was a stupid, cruel girl who couldn't take no for an answer, a truly despicable child.

 _And what does that make you?_ The Kwami's voice chimed in his head. In response he ripped the torc off his neck and cast it aside, seizing the small creature in his hand as he did so.

She had been a vibrant pink when he first encountered her, but the years of corruption and forced transformations coupled with his ability to hold transformations for days at a time had made her weak and sickly. Her once bright complexion had faded to a lighter rose-colour while splashes of black, corrupted energy bled into her skin, leaving splotches of the tar-like substance in patches on her body. Gaberiel gripped the Kwami in his hand tightly and she cried out in pain but he paid her no mind as he threw her into a small birdcage.

"You will never defeat them! Love always triumphs!"

He turned at this, and he snorted derisively. "Never in history has _Le Chat Noir_ had a happy ending. I simply have to wait for his death."  
"He loves her!" The sprite called out, she gripped the newspaper on the floor of her cage, unable to stand.

"That will be his downfall. And once the little kitten is out of the way…" He laughed and the Kwami cowed against the back of the cage in fear. "I will have no problems taking Ladybug's Miraculous. It is destined." He clenched his fist triumphantly as he spoke.

"You're wrong!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Their destiny has been written in the stars for centuries! _They_ are destined, _they_ are fated to be one; _you_ do not stand a chance! Gabriel, I'm begging you, stop before it's too late. They will destroy you!"

The tall man sneered at her. "You speak of destiny as if it were written in stone, but you know nothing. I will not let children stand in the way of my plans."

Her shrill voice followed him into the corridor; her words practiced and deliberate as though she had recited them a thousand times before and perhaps she had.

"Mortibus aegrotationum morientur non perdet. _Ils ne vont pas mourir_ _."_

He kept walking as he heard the Latin flow from her mouth but he slowed when he heard the French translation that followed.

"Dum pugnant pro dilectione. _Quand ils se battent pour l'amour_."

He had heard this before, the foreign language he knew to be Latin haunted him in his sleep. She chanted it over and over during the Akuma attacks, high-pitched voice niggling in the back of his mind.

"Dum pugnant pro dilectione. _Quand ils se battent pour l'amour_."

Her voice, suddenly razor sharp, cut through him like a knife. How was it that this small weak creature was able to speak with such authority?

"Sciat omnis caro. _Tout le monde saura._ _"_

He wanted to leave but he was frozen, he found his feet glued to the floor and the caged creature stared him down with unflinching black eyes. _Was she cursing him?_

"Sati sunt esse simul. _Ils sont nés pour être ensemble_ _."_

Impossible. No-one would ever know. He'd kill the Bourgeois girl if he had to.

"Et malum. _Et le mal."_

A thrill of emotion he didn't recognise raced through him.

"Perdidit. _Est_ _détruite._ _"_

 _Fear._

Her lips curled into a vindictive grin as she spat the last words at him.

"Dum sibi obviant in paris. _Quand ils se rencontrent à Paris._ _"_

He fled the room and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

 **Very, _very_ rough translation. It was difficult to have something translate perfectly into three very different lanugages (Latin makes me want to cry):**

 **They will not die,**

 **When they fight for love.**

 **When they fight for love,**

 **Everyone will know;**

 **They were born for each other.**

 **And evil**

 **Is destroyed**

 **When they meet in Paris.**

 **.**

 **Don't forget to drop a review even just an emoticon expressing your thoughts or a few kinds words, they really do keep me motivated!**

 **Prompt 7-Eternity**


	7. 7-Eternity

**I am always a slut for MariChat. *Sigh***

 **7-Eternity**

 **In the moment he'd turned around all she could see was a broken boy without a family for Christmas and she knew she would never forgive herself if he had to spent tonight alone.**

* * *

She wasn't entirely sure how it happened. Somewhere amid the midnight visits, hot chocolates with tiny pink marshmallows and stargazing, she, as Marinette had formed the most unlikely of friendships with Chat Noir. She didn't mind him this way, he seemed more relaxed with Marinette than Ladybug and his causal touches held less weight, they somehow felt both less and more affectionate than the contact they shared as Ladybug and Chat. His flirtations felt less serious when he was around Marinette and when his attempts to impress fell flat he was more amused than frustrated by her rejection.

Their friendship never existed in the daytime, he always came and left cloaked in darkness, but even when he left, and returned to his loveless civilian lifestyle, Adrien could still feel the warmth that was Marinette.

She had been surprised when he'd dropped down behind her silently, grabbing her waist in jest. It was only a few nights before Christmas Eve; she had expected him to be spending the night with his family. Only, when she'd asked, his eyes had turned hard and cold as he told her his father was away and wouldn't be back until the New Year. "Well then," she had told him, "You'll have to visit me every night leading up to the New Year, since you won't have anything else to do." She spoke teasingly but the dullness had vanished from his eyes, replaced with their regular spark and an unspoken, "Thank-You."

Christmas Eve arrived and she was sitting on her balcony with Chat Noir by her side, sharing a mug of hot chocolate. She usually bought two, but even though he said he would be back every night, she hadn't been entirely sure that he would. Surely, even as a civilian, he had somewhere to be? She hadn't questioned it, afraid that his eyes would turn dark again and that he'd become distant, which would then lead to her spending the rest of their time together trying to make it up to him. She had suspected for a while that his regular life wasn't easy that unlike her, his parents didn't love him as they should, and his presence on the iron chair on her roof on _Christmas_ _Eve_ confirmed her suspicions.

"Maaaaaarrrrrriiiii are you listening?" He poked her cheek with his claw and her eyes snapped back into focus.

"What?"

He pouted and leant back against the wall. "I knew you weren't."

"What did you say?"

He shook his head.

"Tell me." She poked his shoulder.

"I don't want to." He said childishly. He lifted the mug to his lips not taking his eyes off her as he drank. "You should apologise to me for not paying attention."

Marinette clicked her tongue and took the drink from his hands. "No." She smirked into the mug as he adopted a pained expression.

"You wound me Princess."

"Yeah, yeah." She tilted her head back to look at the sky. It was a blank canvas, you weren't really able to see the stars in Paris anyway, what with all the lights, but the dark clouds that had been present all week seemed reluctant to leave. "Do you think it will rain again?"

He followed her gaze. "Maybe. It has been raining all week."

The icy wind blew into their faces and they both shivered.

"Man, it's too cold for you to be out here. You should go inside." Chat stood and Marinette felt panic ignite in her gut. He was returning to-as far as she knew-an empty house. His mouth was set in a hard line and she knew he was upset that his visit was over so soon. He didn't want to leave.

"Wait."

He opened one eye mid-stretch to look at her. "What?"

"Do you…" She faltered. So far, their Marinette/Chat relationship had been confined to her rooftop and the night. What if he didn't want to take it any further? She glanced up. He'd stopped stretching and his hands were at his sides, eyes dull and subdued, the panic in her stomach flared. _He can only say no._ "Do you want to come inside?" She gestured to the hatch on the floor of the terrace.

His mouth quirked up in a half-smile. "No. It's okay."

She bit her lip and stood up. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it. I don't want to invade your room as well as your roof." His words were playful but his eyes continued to betray him and he turned so she couldn't see his expression.

He _did_ want to go inside. It was the first Christmas since his mother died that he hadn't spent either alone in his room or surrounded by people who didn't even speak to him. He wanted to stay on the rooftop forever, but the time always flew past too quickly when they were together. He wanted an eternity on the roof of a house that belonged to a girl who didn't know his name. He wanted to stay on the terrace with exactly half of the people who knew his true personality-the other half being Ladybug-and who didn't treat him differently because of it. He wanted to stay. His ring beeped.

"That's my cue to leave." He lifted himself onto the railing and turned to face Marinette. He didn't see her as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, causing him to nearly lose his footing.

"What-"

"I know you have to go to recharge or whatever you said the beeping meant, but… Please… come straight back."

"Marin-"

"I'll bake some cookies and make more hot chocolate." Her arms tightened around him and he lowered himself back onto the terrace, worried he'd tumble off, taking her with him. "We can watch movies until the morning." She pulled back but didn't release him and he found himself staring into her blue eyes, bright and piercing in the dark, full of promise and warmth.

He bit his lip and she pressed her face into his shoulder, avoiding the cool metal of his bell. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, she was warm despite the night air and suddenly he worried that he might not let go.

"I don't want you to be alone." Her words were muffled and he wasn't sure if they were meant for him to hear but his hearing was perfect and other than their breathing and the rolling thunder in the distance, there was no other sound. He heard her. She felt awkwardness bubbling up in her at that moment, but she pushed it down with a vicious maternal instinct. In the moment he'd turned around all she could see was a broken boy without a family for Christmas and she knew she would never forgive herself if he had to spent tonight alone.

She felt his hand gently tugging her head back and when she looked up her breath caught in her throat. He was looking down at her with burning eyes that could melt iron and his lopsided smile had returned. He leaned in and for a dizzying moment she thought he would kiss her, but he didn't, instead resting his forehead against hers. Something brushed her hands and with a jolt she realized he had loosely laced their fingers together.

"When you put it like that, how can I refuse?" He winked at her before pulling away. His ring beeped more urgently. "I'll come back." He stepped backwards up onto the railing and kissed her fingers before leaving.

* * *

When he returned, he was surprised to find the window not only unlocked but also wide open even though the lights had been switched off. He slipped through the open frame and his feet touched the carpet silently. He could see the dim outline of Marinette on the other side of the room, though he wasn't quite sure what part of her he was looking at.

"Damn it."

"What are you doing?"

The shadow jerked and a soft thump echoed through the otherwise quiet room before fairy lights lit up the room with a soft yellow glow. Marinette crawled out from under her desk, rubbing her head.

"You seriously need to stop doing that."

"What? Being ridiculously handsome?" He posed and winked at her.

She rolled her eyes and turned on her computer. "Seriously? I thought we were past that."

"You don't like my flirtations?"

"No." She angled the computer screen away from him and he inched closer. "Stay!" She commanded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Why not?" He stepped closer, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of whatever it was she didn't want him to see.

"Chat."

"Princess?"

She scowled at him and he laughed. "You're so cute when you're angry."

Clicking her tongue she faced the computer screen towards the bed. "I'm really not."

"Not cute? I beg to differ." _That smug asshole._ She thought glaring at him.

She picked up the blanket from the floor and tossed it over his shoulders. "You can pick the first movie okay?"

"I want to watch anime."

"Ani-" She stared at him before bursting into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Don't laugh." His ears were pink with embarrassment.

"Sorry. Whatever you want."

She gestured towards the bed where pillows had been propped up against the wall making it look like a couch. He hesitated. Wasn't that _her_ bed? Sitting on a girl's bed was very… intimate. He glanced over at her; she was humming a song quietly while she browsed her library for something to watch, she didn't appear to be worried about him being in her room, or sitting on her bed. _What's the worse that could happen?_ An image of Marinette, face pink, lips swollen and dark hair spread out on the pillow under her like a fan, swam before his eyes and he started in surprise before pushing it firmly out of his mind.

Marinette was staring at him; he had been standing still for too long.

"I was uh, thinking I should close the window."

Her eyes darted to the open window and back to his face, she clearly didn't believe him but she nodded and turned back to her computer screen. After shutting the window he spotted a familiar looking sketchbook on her desk.  
"Can I look at this?" He asked her tapping a finger on the cover. She glanced over at the book and then shook her head.

"They're really not that interesting. How about Inuyasha?" Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"I'm not really a dog person." He joked, smiling as she giggled. "But sure. Also," He pointed a finger at her. "Don't change the topic. Can I look?"

She bit her lip. "I'm going to change into my pajamas." His eyes followed her as she opened a door adjourning her room. He'd expected a closet or something, but instead she stepped into a small en suite, the door clicking softly behind her.

Chat sighed and left the notebook untouched. Instead he climbed into Marinette's bed and tried to absorb as much detail about her room as possible. Who knew when he'd be allowed to look at such an intimate part of her life again? She'd arranged treats from downstairs on a plate and more hot chocolate sat on the coffee table near the bed and he picked one up, chuckling when a tiny pink marshmallow floated to the top.

If you asked him later, he wouldn't be able to tell you what colour her walls were or where her desk sat in relation to the bed, but he would be able to tell you about how she had a stack of magazines shoved under her desk with bits cut out and glued together and the way that they seemed to be in an order, but he couldn't tell you what kind. He'd tell you about the sewing machine on other side of the desk, midway through a piece of red and black material that shone under the dim fairy lights. He'd tell you how she had four pictures in frames on the desk, one of her and Alya, one of her parents, one of her classmates after their last day in middle school, and one of her, Kim, Alix and himself as Adrien after they'd finished in first place in Paris-wide relay race. He'd tell you that her room smelt like melted butter, sugar, peaches and Marinette's perfume that he could never _quite_ name even though his senses were nearly perfect. He'd tell you that she had a white beanbag in the corner with an open book lying innocently in the middle of the indentation and he'd tell you that a mug of cold, forgotten tea sat beside it. But he wouldn't tell you how much it made him crave human interaction.

And he definitely wouldn't tell you how warm the room felt or how much it felt like home.

The bathroom door opened and Marinette crept out.

"Chat?"

"What?" He whispered back.

She walked over to him and his stomach flipped when he saw she'd taken out her twin tails. She'd grown her hair longer since she'd started high school; it now hung just below her shoulders in subtle waves. She walked over to the bed, crawled into it beside him and pressed play on the laptop,

"I was worried you had left."

"Nope. You offered and now you're stuck with me for the night."

"I don't mind that much."

He draped the blanket over their heads and she shuffled closer to him, it was warmer inside than on the roof top, but Marinette hadn't wanted to wake her parents by touching the heaters so they had to stick with blankets.

"Why are we watching the movies? The movies suck." Chat complained. Marinette brushed the crumbs off her fingers absently.

"I said movie, you said anime." She made a small gesture with her fingers, linking the two of them together. "Compromise."

He clicked his tongue at her and she giggled, recognizing _her_ default method of letting him know she was displeased. Then she made eye contact and she titled her head in confusion.

"What?"

"You have a um-" He ran his finger over the corner of his mouth and she flushed and repeated the motion, wiping away the faint trace of icing sugar the pastry had left behind.

"You should have told me earlier." She hissed, shoving him.

"I was trying to decide if I should lick it off or not."

"Ew!"

He stuck his tongue out and wiggled it at her threateningly. She giggled and moved away from him but his hand reached out and snatched at the blanket encasing them, trapping her. "I have you now Princess." He said, voice low in an imitation of an evil-villain.

"Oh my god." She rolled her eyes.

"No, you're supposed to say;" He made his voice high-pitched. "Oh no! Prince Chat! Save me!"

She pushed him again but this time lost her balance and ended up with her face against his chest. "I do _not_ sound like that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because-"

"And aren't you supposed to be a knight?"

He paused. "Well, yes. Can't I be both?"

"No. No you can't."

"Why not? Princesses have knights in shining armor. It's a thing."

Suddenly she sat up, putting distance between them. "Oh my gosh I nearly forgot!" She tried to stand, but their entangled legs made it difficult and she slipped backwards off the bed, landed on the floor.

Chat made a strangled sound as she slipped through his grasp but it quickly turned to laughter when he saw that she was okay.

"Shut up!" She huffed. "My parents will hear you."

"Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all. "But… That was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time." He choked out the words through his laughte, she stood and stuck her tongue out at him, straightening her shirt.

"Stop it."

"I really can't."

"I won't give you your present." She threatened. At this he sobered up immediately. _She had gotten him a gift?_

"You got me a present?" He asked dubiously. "Why?"

She scratched the back of her neck, something, he noticed, that _he_ did when he was nervous. "Well we are friends right?"

"Yeah." The word nearly didn't come out.

She reached under the bed and bought out a box wrapped in black paper tied with gold ribbon. "If you don't like it you can give it back." She said, offering him the gift. He didn't take it. He was mortified. _He hadn't gotten her anything. He hadn't even thought about it. And yet here she was, giving him the most elegantly wrapped, most personal gift he had received since, since… Since his last real Christmas._

"I didn't get you anything." He hung his head, embarrassed.

"Huh? Oh, that's okay. I wasn't expecting anything, but I really wanted to give you this." She forced the box into his unwilling hands. "Please open it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be stupid Chat, it's a present, not the last life preserver on a sinking boat."

He looked up at her. Her eyes were bright and expectant. She was _happy_. To be _giving_ a gift. To _him_. His stupid, forgetful self. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

"Oh my god. You're such a drama queen." But she returned the hug for a moment before pulling away. "Open it."

He obliged and pulled the ribbon away, lifting the tape carefully with one finger, in an attempt to not rip the paper.

He lifted the lid and bit his lip at what was inside. It was a black beanie that had been obviously knitted by Marinette herself. He lifted it out of the box and when he spotted the top he let out a bark of laughter, she'd sown cat ears to the top of it, the spot where the inside of the ears would be were gold and he ran his fingers along every surface, silently searching. He found it on the underside of one of the ears; cursive writing in a beautiful deep green colour that he suspected was chosen for his eyes. Her signature. _Marinette._ He felt something catch in his throat and he traced over her name before looking up at her.

She was watching him intently, suddenly very worried that he would laugh at her again but he didn't.

"Marinette." He said, his voice was thick and she hoped he wouldn't cry. She didn't think she would be able to stop herself from holding onto him if he did. "Thank you."

"You like it?"

"I do. I love it."

She smiled in relief and for a second he was worried her face would break, then he was worried about the strange pinching sensation he felt in his chest.

"You made this." It wasn't a question.

"Yes! That's why I didn't want you to look at my designs." She laughed at herself and moved to clear away the paper. "You missed the scarf!"

"Huh?" He peered into the box that she had thrust under his nose and saw that she was right; he'd neglected to check that it was empty. She pulled out a black and green scarf and wrapped it around his neck before taking the beanie out of his hands and pushing it onto his head.

"Aw." She clapped her hands together. "You're so cute Chat!"

He grinned and grabbed her again, pulling her to him and they toppled backwards on the bed, limbs tangled once again.

"Thank you."

* * *

It was sometime during the second movie that Chat had to enter the bathroom to recharge Plagg. He'd only ever been in one other girl's bathroom before and that was Chloe's when they were 12. The differences between the two were immeasurable. Other than the obvious fact that Marinette didn't have her countertop caked in make-up powder, by comparison Marinette's bathroom, like her bedroom, felt _real,_ lived in. Marinette used pink towels as opposed to the enormous white Egyptian cotton ones in Chloe's bathroom and she had a small succulent sitting in a pot beside the sink instead of a maid waiting to clean up after her. He left the room quietly and found Marinette lying on her side, eyes half-closed.

"Hey?" He brushed her hair out of her face. "Mari?"

"I'm awake."

"Are you sure?" He laughed as she sat up groggily, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand.

"Yes. Come." She opened her arms invitingly and he didn't hesitate.

* * *

During the third movie, Marinette found herself wrapped securely in Chat's arms. For reasons unknown to her, he'd decided they would watch a horror film but every time something remotely frightening appeared on the screen, he'd jump and his arms would flex around her, nearly crushing her.

She laughed as Chat's tail wrapped around her stomach and he buried his face in the back of her neck when the protagonist was dismembered.

"Are you a scaredy cat?"

He clicked his tongue. "No. I'm not." In truth he was. He'd been hoping that the movie would scare _her_ and that she'd jump and be afraid and that he could tease he about being frightened and maybe he could hold her a little under the pretext of comfort. Unfortunately had backfired to the point where it was embarrassing.

"Do you want to watch something else?"

"No."

She reached behind her and ran her hand through his hair. "Too bad. This movie sucks. I'm changing it."

* * *

"They're in love!" He cooed at the screen, dewy-eyed.

"Oh my god Chat."

"It's so beautiful." He sighed and snuggled closer to Marinette who was rolling her eyes at him.

They were halfway through the fourth movie and Marinette began to feel fatigue set in. Her limbs felt like lead, her eyes were drooping and she was leaning heavily on Chat.

"Mari? Are you sleepy?" He nudged her head with his nose.

"No."

"I can go."

"No."

"Are you sure?"

She pulled the blanket tightly around her. No way would she let him leave, she was used to staying up late for homework and late-night Akuma attacks. She could do it again for Chat. She moved closer and without hesitation his arm went around her shoulders.

"Of course."

* * *

They didn't watch a fifth movie, Marinette couldn't get up and when her computer went to sleep, she didn't bother to turn it off properly. At some point they'd ended up lying down instead of sitting up, Marinette's head on Chat's arm and his leg draped over hers. Chat had been quick to point out that he made an excellent big spoon, and she'd been too tired to protest. Her head tucked neatly into the spot where his arm met his torso, his fingers sifted through her hair while she lazily traced patterns on his bicep. His breath warmed the back of her neck, and she ignored the familiar feeling settling in her stomach. They stayed like that for a while until Marinette noticed his chest was quivering, she was about to turn around to comfort him, to tell him not to cry but she hesitated for a moment, her lips turning upwards into a curious smile.

"Chat?"

"Mm?"  
"Are you… _purring_?"

The vibrations stopped. "I uh…" She rolled over and looked up at him in surprise.

"Were you?"

His cheeks flushed and he looked sheepish, like he'd been caught doing something embarrassing. "It happens… sometimes..."

She reached up sleepily and patted his cheek insistently. "Do it again."

"What?"

"Again."

"I can't do it on command." He took her hand in his and bought it to his chest, her fingers splayed out over his suit and she could feel his steady heart beat under her fingertips. "You're very sleepy Princess."

"Don't go." Her voice was plaintive and the request was so simple but he couldn't fathom _why_ she was asking him to stay. "Stay."

She knew she would be terribly embarrassed by her behavior in the morning, or later in the morning when she woke up, but she couldn't let him leave now. Not now.

"Is it okay?"

"Stay."

She tucked her head under his chin and wriggled until she was comfortable, fingers curled on either side of his bell. He waited until she stopped moving to wrap his arms around her again; he'd definitely have to get her a Christmas gift.

The two of them lay in darkness, surrounded by blankets and each other in total silence until he started purring again.

* * *

 **This turned out long…. Oops.**

 **Don't forget to drop a review! :)**

 **8-Gateway**


	8. 8-Gateway

**8-Gateway**

 **She was cheerful and silly and beautiful. His only friend was Chloe, and she was dark and sullen and moody. He wanted to learn Chinese so he could speak to the pretty, happy girl that worked in the bakery. Maybe he'd make a new friend.**

 **I've had this plot bunny for ages hehehe.**

* * *

Adrien clutched his mothers' hand as she led him into the Dupain-Cheng bakery. As promised, he'd attended all his lessons for the week without complaint and now he was allowed to have an afternoon to himself. The door chimed when she pushed it open and the smell of warm pastries and chocolate made him sniff the air in delight.

"Agreste Tàitai! _Madame Agreste!_

He looked up at the mention of his name, followed by unfamiliar words and saw a very small dark-haired girl sitting on the counter, waving at his mother.

"Huānyíng guānglín!" _Welcome!_

She spoke very loudly, but not, he noted, in the obnoxious way that children he saw on the playground were. Her volume seemed to stem from excitement and pleasure as her face broke out into a wide grin at the sight of his mother

"Ah, Marinette." His mother smiled at the girl."Nǐ hǎo." _Hello._

He supposed it was Chinese or Korean, he could never really tell the difference, but he knew that his mother could speak fluently in both. She'd tried to teach him but he'd never really wanted to learn and the only phrase he knew was zàijiàn. _See you again._

Adrien watched as the girl smiled at his mother happily and took a very big bite out of her pastry, leaving a streak of icing sugar on her cheek.

A woman who looked like an older version of the girl picked her up off the counter and placed her on the floor. "Nǐ jīntiān guàngjiē?" _Are you shopping today?_

"Shì wǒ de érzi." _Yes with my son._

"Bùyào zài guìtái shàng zuò." The woman said to her daughter. _Don't sit on the counter._ The girl laughed and stuffed the rest of the pastry in her mouth before jumping out of the way as a customer approached the counter to pay. Adrien watched her silently. _Pretty._ He thought as her long braid swung behind her, smacking her in the cheek.

"Look it's our best customer!" A large man entered the room, carrying a tray of buns. "Good morning Madame Agreste."

"Good morning Tom." Adrien sunk into his mother's side, the man was very big and looked like he could snap Adrien in half.

"Is this your son?" The man placed the buns on a counter and crouched down beside him.

"Yes, this is Adrien."

"He looks very much like you." Tom said. "Are you going to buy something sweet today Adrien? We have just started making a new kind of croissant if you'd like to try one?"

Adrien looked up at his mother who nodded encouragingly.

"Yes please Monsieur Baker."

The man laughed a deep belly laugh and Adrien stepped back, worried that the vibrations would make the shop cave in.

"You can call me Tom if you like." He stood up, still laughing. "Monsieur Baker indeed."

"Nǐ shì shuí?" Adrien turned to see the girl from before staring at him. _Who are you? "_ Nǐ shì shuí?" She repeated what he assumed was a question. He shook his head and looked up at his mother for assistance but she was speaking with the girl's father about the possibility of regularly baking cheese bread. "Nǐ shuō zhōngguó huà?" _Do you speak Chinese?_ Adiren flinched away from her and the girl's tilted her head to the side, considering him. "I'm Marinette." She said. Her French was perfect, to his surprise. But she didn't say anything else as she stood there watching him and he assumed that she didn't know how to say anything else in French.

"Here son." The girl's father was trying to hand him a small black and gold box and he tore his eyes away from hers. "My daughter baked these this morning. You'll have to come back and let her know what you think okay?" Adrien nodded and took the box in one hand.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"You're very welcome young man."

"I'm afraid we must be going, we have a few more errands to run before we head home."

"Not at all Madame. Do come again soon."

His mother pulled out her purse and walked over to the counter, Marinette was balaence precariously on the strip of counter behind the till and Adrien was sure she would fall. But she didn't.

"Zhège duōshǎo qián?" _How much is this?_

The girl punched in some numbers with enthusiastic force. The till whined in protest and she frowned as it whirred loudly before stopping. She bit her lip and glanced over at her mother who was preoccupied with another customer. Adrien guessed that she had broken it.

"Tài duō." The girl sighed. _Too much._ Adrien's mother laughed.

"Madame." Tom called from the other side of the room. "It is our gift to you and your son. For your continued patronage."

"Thank you Tom. We will be sure to visit again. Right sweetheart?"

He nodded and looked up at the girl. Her eyes were bright and intelligent and he felt like she could see straight through him.

As they left he heard her call out behind him.

"Zàijiàn!"

* * *

It wasn't until dinner that he broached the subject with his mother.  
"You want to learn Mandarin?"

"Yes."

He waited for her to ask why. His mother was always asking questions about things like that. She would probably start planning a wedding for him and the girl in the bakery if she knew why. The girl with the bright blue eyes that stared into his soul was a type of girl he didn't know. She was cheerful and silly and beautiful. His only friend was Chloe, and she was dark and sullen and moody. He wanted to learn Chinese so he could speak to the pretty, happy girl that worked in the bakery. Maybe he'd make a new friend.

"Can I?"

"Of course Adrien." His mother smiled at him. She would definitely have to tell Sabine about this.

* * *

He liked his Chinese teacher. Hao was quite a bit older than he was, 17, an older student looking to make some extra money. His mother had employed him, his father had wanted a real teacher, but his mother had insisted that a younger teacher would benefit Adrien. He wouldn't just learn the language but the modern culture too. Hao also knew the reason why Adrien had wanted to learn to speak Mandarin and often spoke about the baker's daughter, though he'd never actually met her. He often took Adrien outside, sometimes to the park, the Seine River and sometimes they went shopping.

Today they visited a bakery and with a start, Adrien recognized the bakery that had started his passion for the language. He wondered if she was here. She usually was not though he suspected that it was because she attended school. The bell chimed and his eyes were drawn to her immediately. Her hair was in the same braid that touched the small of her back, tied with a red ribbon. She was chatting to her mother in rapid Chinese and Adrien suddenly felt insecure. His own Chinese was certainly not coherent enough to have a conversation like that.

"Go on Adrien." Hao nudged his student in the side. "It's fine."

Adrien walked over to the girl and he felt his legs shaking. Why was he so nervous? The girl spotted him and smiled and he wondered if she recognized him.

"Wǔān." He said, before she could greet him. _Good Afternoon_

Her eyes widened in surprise but she recovered quickly and smiled at him, her eyes dancing. "Wǔān. Wǒ néng bāng nǐ ma?"

He paused and ran the translation through his head. _Can I help you? "_ Shì." _Yes._  
She stood and her eyebrow twitched as his pronunciation but she didn't comment on it. "Qízhōng zhī yī, qǐng." He finished lamely, pointing at the box of macaroons. _One of those please_.

She smiled and nodded. "Nǐ de pǔtōnghuà fēicháng hǎo." She paused, considering something before tacking on, "Duìyú yīgè fàguó nánhái." at the end. Adrien began to panic. He recognized the first part of her sentence as praise for his language skills, but the second part had him stumped. He looked over at Hao for assistance, but when none was forthcoming he just smiled.

"20 euros." She said. In that moment he realized that she had a French accent. He thought about the way her voice sounded as she processed the payment. Unlike Hao, whose French words were marred by a thick Chinese accent, hers were clean and crisp; she had very obviously grown up in France. Her Chinese too, had that French flair and he wondered if she could, in fact speak French.

"Xièxiè nín de huìgù." _Thank you for your patronage._

"Wǒ ài nǐ." He said, taking the box from her hands. She froze and her mouth opened in shock.

"What?" She exclaimed in French. Adrien heard Hao laughing hysterically behind him and he saw the girl's mother stare at him in amusement.

"My daughter is only 7, she's too young for dating." Adrien saw Tom step out of the back room hands over his chest. "Even for you." He would have been more threatening but the time Adrien had spent in the bakery and the flour that covered Tom's face made him seem infinitely less terrifying than the first time they'd met. His eyes were dancing, Tom was laughing. Laughing at _him_.

"Dating?" He said in French. "What?" He looked back at the girl, her blue eyes were wide and bright and a small smile tugged at her lips. He had the distinct impression that she was trying not to laugh at him. She retracted her hands, and his fingertips tingled.

Hao tugged his shirt. "Let's go."

They made their way out of the shop; bell ringing behind them and Hao started laughing again.

Adrien complained. "That doesn't mean 'you're welcome' does it?"

"Oh man her face was priceless!" Hao chortled. "That was the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

"What did you make me say? And why was he talking about dating?"

Hao just shook his head and continued to laugh.

"Hao!"

* * *

Six years later Adrien transferred into a real school. To say he was excited was an understatement. Even though he'd still have to deal with Chloe and he wasn't exactly great in social situations, he'd be able to make friends. Hopefully he'd have better luck here than with the girl in the bakery. He sighed; he hadn't been back since, both the mortification being laughed at by her and her parents for saying something he didn't know the translation for, and the death of his mother made it too hard to go back. The bakery had too many memories. He stood in front of the class as he introduced himself, Chloe winked and wiggled her fingers at him, but he ignored her. As he made to go and sit down, the classroom door was flung open and a flash of blue and pink plowed into him.

"Āiyō." The girl hissed before looking up at him with bright blue eyes. With a jolt Adrien recognized them. They belonged to the girl in the bakery. Her hair was shorter and in twin tails instead of a braid. But it was she. Her eyes showed no recognition but her face flushed as the class snickered at their compromising position and she pushed herself off him apologizing. His eyes found a streak of white powder that decorated her cheek and he wondered if it was flour or icing sugar.

"I'm so sorry." _She speaks French after all_ he thought dizzyingly.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" The teacher snapped. "You're late again!"

 _The Bakery Girl. Marinette._

"Sorry!" She hurried to her seat; face bright red and her friend wiped the powder off her cheek, shaking her head.

* * *

She was a big stuttering mess, he realized. She was so different to the girl he remembered, that there were times he wondered if they were actually two different people. But then he'd catch her giving half her lunch to a younger student who'd forgotten theirs, or speaking out against Chloe's bullying. He'd spot her on the other side of the yard, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe or concentrating on something, her tongue poking out between her teeth and he'd know that they were in fact the same. It was only around him that she was shy he finally realized. And maybe he was wrong and she _did_ recognize him and that's why she couldn't talk to him. She was remembering the stupid situation that happened when they were seven and was consequentially terrified of him.

* * *

Chat ran across the roof, chasing the red and black blur. They were racing around Paris again, 'training' she called it but he thought it was just a more exciting game of tag.

"Ladybug!" He yelled. She stopped and he skidded to try and avoid a collision, but he wasn't used to his body after his sudden growth spurts and he crashed into her, causing them to both lose their balance and tumble into the alley below.

"Sorry." He said, their limbs were entangled and he tried to sit up. She glared up at him and his breath hitched. Beautiful blue eyes glared up at him from behind the mask and then he felt sick. He knew those eyes. He kicked himself internally, how had he not seen it before? The way they moved, their laughter, the way they smiled, teased, spoke. The Bakery Girl was Marinette. Marinette was his Princess and His Princess was His Lady. They were one and the same.

* * *

Adrien was more than grateful that the third time Sabine and Tom heard him say it, they did not in fact, laugh at him as they had the first time in the bakery or threaten to kill him and make it look like an accident like they did the second time when he was in Marinette's room.

"Wǒ ài nǐ."

"Je t'aime."

"I love you."

* * *

 **The thing Marinette said that Adrien didn't understand was; "For a French boy."** **So she had said; "Your Mandarin is very good. For a French boy."**

 **Sings dramatically "I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP."**

 **But srs, I do not remember ordering a never ending wave of feels for French magical-girl superheroes, a love square and boys with cat ears.**

 **Prompt 9-Death** **(This prompt will absolutely destroy me)**


	9. 9-Death

**Prompt 9-Death**

 **His family made excuses for his mother's absence, cautiously dancing around the truth. It was as if they thought he wouldn't notice she was gone.**

 **My laptop was taken away from me on Thursday and I no longer have regular access to a computer that works. It takes 40 minutes to walk to the library (the closest computer) and it's been hitting 40 degrees lately so it's really hot to walk.**

 **Please bear with me as I save up for a new laptop, after which updates will become regular once more xx**

* * *

They didn't explain death to him the first time it happened. He assumed it had something to do with the fact that he was only 8 and the concept of 'gone forever' wasn't an easy one to grasp. His family made excuses for his mother's absence, cautiously dancing around the truth. It was as if they thought he wouldn't notice she was gone. As if he wouldn't notice the depression that surrounded the house that made it hard to breathe. As if he wouldn't notice that it had been six months since he'd heard from her and she'd never been gone that long without calling. As if he wouldn't notice his father shutting him out, barely even looking at him. As if he wouldn't notice the flowers and cards that spoke of condolences that decorated the lobby of their home, wilting when no one bothered to water them. As if he wouldn't notice the large family portrait being painted over, his mother being slowly erased from the painting just as she had been erased from his life. Effortlessly, simply, cleanly. Erased. Gone.

He missed her but he held on to the hope of a reunion, the memories of her kept him from sinking into the ever present pit of despair and agony. It stalked him, the pit. Always two steps behind, never quite touching him, never quite close enough to swallow him whole until, he was mature enough to understand. It had been an awful revelation. He would never see his mother again, she would never smile again, never laugh again, never breathe again. It was the same night the pit devoured him that he discovered the ring in her possessions. Silver with a plain face, too large and clunky to be valuable so he doubted anyone would miss it if he took it. Besides, she had left everything to him and his father anyway, surely his father, as cold and cruel as he was, would not begrudge him a small memento? The ring and its accompanying perks eased the loneliness he had felt since her death. His love and adoration for his mother had been reborn into a new type of love, and before he realised, the new kind of affection had blossomed into something deeper, something irreplaceable. Within his new partner lay the foundation for something much stronger that he could use to pave the way to healing in the place of the lame excuses and half-truths that adults favoured.

No one made excuses for the absence the second time death happened. No one told him that he would never see her again, but even if they had, he wouldn't have believed them. No one told him that she was gone forever because he was expected to know. But even at the age of 18 the concept of death was difficult to comprehend. She had been so full of love and warmth and life right up until her final moment that he often found himself glancing at the classroom door waiting for her to sneak in quietly, a sheepish grin on her face, flour or charcoal smudged on her cheek. On Saturdays, he passed by the bakery, the French flag always at half-mast, the bell cheerfully announcing the arrival of customers, oblivious to the missing occupant of the house above. On Sundays he would lie face up on his bed, staring at the blank ceiling, letting his grief consume him entirely. He could not be prompted to move by anyone and his friend had long since stopped visiting in hopes of seeing a change in him. He hadn't spoken since her death and his entire being was on auto pilot. Several psychologists had been hired to 'fix' him. But he knew he was irreparable.

He was never confident in himself unless he was hidden behind his mask, but his hesitation to confess his love to her left his heart in pieces and he wished he could make her see that he was in fact, seriously in love with her. He hated that he was hesitant, and he hated that he wasn't able to be self-assured enough within himself to admit his feelings. His hesitance had cost her dearly.

He loathed himself, he truly did. Despite constant reassurances that there was nothing more he could have done and that he did all he could, he couldn't help but think about the 'what if's'

His consciousness was forever stuck in the moment of her fall, desperately looking for an out, a way to save her. Mid-fall, her transformation had worn off and in that instant she had been exposed to him and all of Paris. The shy, pretty, kind girl who sat behind him in class was his Lady. His confident, beautiful, kind, strong independent Lady and though the differences were immeasurable he didn't question it. He'd had his doubts for months and all the pieces had fallen into place so perfectly but he'd hesitated. Not for long, but enough. His surprise had made him falter and his hesitation was the opening Death was looking for. Her name ripped from his throat as her body cracked onto the pavement sickeningly, the ground was stained red instantly, and the rain pouring down so forcefully that her blood was washed away and without the red she looked almost peaceful. Like she was still alive. Her friend had screamed and run to her friend's body, casting her phone aside so forcefully that it shattered like her body but he had been frozen in place. The murderous, accusing screams reached him; cries of 'you could have saved her' and 'you didn't save her' propelled him forwards. His transformation wore off as he sunk to his knees beside the girl who was cradling her friend's broken body in her arms, rocking back and forth, crying, screaming pleas in a heartbreaking mix of Spanish and French to whatever Gods were listening to please, please, bring her friend back. But no one was listening.

* * *

 **Ow. I think I made myself sad.**

 **Not my best but I was dealing with too many feels at the time of writing.**

 **Please leave a review for me xx**

 **Prompt 10-Opportunites**


	10. 10-Opportunities

**More MariChat/MariNoir. Why can't they just; Kiss Kiss fall in LOVE~ because this is getting ridiculous.**

 **Prompt 10-Oppurtunities**

 **She realised her mistake too late.**

* * *

He'd invited himself in again, and as always, he came bearing gifts for the evening. This time he had bought two game consoles and a small stack of games.  
"Let's have a date." He said happily, lifting the stack of games.

"No." She returned to her maths homework, studiously ignoring the droop of his tail and ears. "I hate maths. I don't understand this at all!" She threw her pencil onto the table in anger and rubbed her cheeks with her hands.

"I'll help you."

She swivelled in her chair and eyed him suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"Play with me."

She considered him carefully. "Homework comes first."

"Whatever pleases my Princess the most." He winked and sauntered over to her, resting a palm on the table.

"Oh my god." She protested at the flirtation but they both knew her heart wasn't really in it.

His grin widened. "You love it."

* * *

They'd flown through the last of her homework and he allowed her first pick of the game.

"Mario Kart? Do you want us to be at odds already My Princess? It _is_ the best tactic used to ruin friendships, or in our case a budding romance." He winked.

"The end cannot come soon enough." She teased, pushing the game into the console.

"I am wounded. Perhaps a kiss from a fair maiden...?" He inched forwards cheekily and she pushed his face away laughing.

* * *

Marinette thumbed the buttons furiously, her hair falling in her eyes, tongue poking out from between her teeth; the very picture of intense concentration. She sucked her teeth in displeasure when she fell behind a few places after skidding on a banana peel.

Chat looked over at his companion, her smirk clear even in the darkness. He was going to lose _again_. He could feel it, he'd lost count of how many times they'd played tonight but he hadn't beaten her even once. Admittedly the first few times he'd let her win, but when he realised she didn't need to be _allowed_ to have the victory, that she'd snatch it from his fingertips regardless of whether he wanted her to or not, the game had truly begun. She flicked her hair out of her eyes impatiently with a toss of her head and the smell of sugar and peaches hit him like a train causing him to freeze for a moment before lowering his eyes back to the game console. Air slipped through his teeth in a hiss of frustration as his car dove off the track for the third time, she'd distracted him _again_. And she wasn't even doing it on purpose! He felt her shoulders shake in laughter at his poor driving skills and he stuck his tongue out at her, though she probably couldn't see. His eyes flittered back up to her face of their own accord and in the dim glow of the console screen he could see her flushed cheeks and smug expression. He ran over a mystery box and grinned evilly. Marinette was in first place. He pressed the button with relish and laughed loudly when her kart was thrown into the air and she looked up at him, a scandalised expression on her face.

"Did you just?" She asked angrily.

"Yes Princess?"

"You _sneaky_ cat."

He winked. "You know you love me."

She snorted with amusement. "Not as much as you love me."

"I do love you very much it is true. But alas, your heart belongs to another."

She made a face at him and returned to the console mumbling Chinese obscenities under her breath. He hadn't told her yet that he could understand Chinese and that he strongly objected to being called a 'nerd' and a 'bully.' He glanced over at her, his car once more diving off the track. Her cheeks were round, giving her face a child-like appearance, even though some of the other girls had started to lose their baby fat (not that Marinette had much fat to begin with anyway) her cheeks had stayed full, almost always adorned with a pink flush either from heat, embarrassment or excitement. He shook his head. What strange thoughts he was having tonight. He looked down at his console again, he was right behind Marinette this time. As long as he didn't get distracted, he would be able to beat her. Probably. He felt a smirk tug at his lips and lent over towards his friend, it was _her_ turn to be distracted. She ignored his proximity, used to his total lack of awareness of a thing she called 'personal space' until she felt something soft and wet touch her jaw. She jumped as Chat ran his tongue up her cheek in one smooth motion stopping when he reached the top of her cheekbone. The end siren sounded from the game and Chat laughed triumphantly as the screen declared his victory. He pushed her doona off their heads-it was getting too warm under there anyway- and took the last mini choc-chip cookie from the plate in front of them. She was still staring at him in disbelief.

"You _licked_ me!" She accused eyes wide.

He chuckled and winked. "I just wanted a taste." He made to take a bite out of the treat Marinette had made for them but she snatched it out of his hands.

"That's so unfair." She complained. "You cheated!"

He turned to face her, smirk growing wider.

"Chat..." She said warningly, holding the cookie out of his reach.

He pounced on her, the sudden movement knocking several pillows to the ground as he reached for his prize.  
"Mine." He said and for a strange moment he wondered if he was talking about the biscuit or the girl pinned underneath him. She held the treat between her teeth as she captured his wrists in her hands, keeping his grabby hands with long fingers at bay. He moved closer, trying to force her to release him without hurting her and she lifted a bare foot and gave his shoulder a shove, pushing him further away. She succeeded until he ducked slightly, causing her foot to slip over his shoulder, sliding past his head until the crook of her knee was neatly tucked over his shoulder and unfortunately for her, due to their awkward position, she couldn't do anything to remove it and so she had to leave it there, lest she be forced to relinquish the last cookie. At least she was wearing shorts and not the silk nightdress she usually wore to bed that had been gifted to her by her rich aunt in China. That would have been a _very_ awkward situation to be in. Chat didn't seem fazed, instead his green eyes locked onto hers, pinning her to the bed as effectively as his body. Chat smirked again and moved in again, her bare leg sliding against his neck, sending an unbidden shiver down her spine. His face neared hers and she realised her mistake too late. She'd left her face completely unguarded, he took the cookie in his mouth, using his lips rather than his teeth and she suppressed another shiver as his lips brushed over hers as he stole the treat from her. Against her will she noticed they were soft and deliciously warm.

A strange desire to pull him to her washed over her body like a wave as she stared up at him, eye wide. Something warm pooled in the base of her belly and she suddenly felt like the room was just a bit too warm. Her hands itched to touch him and she might have done it if it weren't for the loud crunching noise above her. He chewed with relish as she scowled up at him, once again in control of her body. The moment was gone and the heat vanished to be replaced by something cooler, something lighter and she was grateful for the change. The earlier sensation was something she couldn't put a name to and it felt dangerous to leave her emotions unchecked. Their eyes met and she saw his eyebrow twitch with amusement under his mask, laughter bubbled up in her throat and spilled out of her mouth, filling the dark space of her room with giggles. He followed suit and gently bumped his forehead against hers, the console screens blackened and the two were left a hopeless mess of tangled limbs, their laughter intertwined in the darkness.

* * *

 **I tried not to make it shippy, but you know. I'm trash and a slut for MariNoir/MariChat**

 **Please drop a review! And do _let me know what ships you want _ b/c this is in _serious_ danger of becoming just Marinette and Chat. Ahaha. But srs I have an Alya and Adrien interaction drabble coming up, not ship wise, but yes it is coming.**

 **And I didn't have a chance to beta as I thought you guys deserved this PRONTO!  
Keep up the hype for the English release on the 6** **th** **.**

 **Prompt 11-33% (Cue Ladrien)**


	11. 11-33

**Prompts where; Mari doesn't know that Adrien knows that she's Ladybug but Adrien doesn't know that Mari knows that he's Chat and Alya doesn't know anything are my favorite.**

 **WELCOME TO THE NEW MIRACULARS! ENJOY YOUR STAY BC THERE IS NO ESCAPE!**

 **Prompt Eleven-33%**

 **Marinette, as of a few weeks ago had begun to see similarities between the two boys but she wasn't about to admit that her perfect, gentlemanly Adrien was the flirty and not-so-suave Chat Noir.**

* * *

"It's too hard! I can't do it Alya. It's impossible!" Marinette threw her arms onto the table-top in frustration.

"It's not that bad Mari." Alya rubs her friend's head affectionately.

Marinette glared up at Alya through her fringe. "I _hate_ Physics."

"Hi Adrien!" Alya chirped, tapping her friend on the head causing Marinette to sit up and flush with embarrassment as her crush approached them.

"Hi Alya." He made eye contact with Marinette. "Hi Mari."

It had been a few months since he'd figured out she was Ladybug and he was still trying to come up with a way to firstly let her know he knew and _then_ to let her know he was Chat. He'd been dropping hints left, right and center for weeks but she just didn't seem to get it. She had, however, become less skittish around him and he hoped it meant she felt less intimidated by him.

At first he was ashamed that he hadn't figured it out sooner, he did have his suspicions but the day after he accidentally saw her transform in the alley, his suspicions were confirmed and he started looking for Ladybug in Marinette and Marinette in Ladybug. The similarities were glaringly obvious once he was looking for them and he couldn't believe he'd missed them; her hair, the smattering of freckles that decorated her nose, the small frame with willowy limbs that didn't look threatening but could knock out a man triple her size in twenty seconds flat (as Ivan had found out during their martial arts sports day), the dip of her collarbone and the curve of her neck, but most importantly, the bright summer-sky blue eyes that stared straight through him making his chest pinch painfully as he tried to quell the butterflies that had made their home in his stomach.

"Hi." She replied, pulling her book towards her again in a feeble attempt to make it look like she was studying.

"What are you working on?" He placed a hand on the back of her chair, leaning over her shoulder, the smell of peaches and melted butter wafted up to him and his grip tightened on the chair, trying to keep himself from dipping his head and sniffing her shoulder. He never could tell if the peaches was her shampoo or perfume or just Marinette but he didn't really think now was an appropriate time to find out.

"Uh, Physics." She tapped her book with a finger, desperately fighting a blush. He was so _close_. "It's so awful, I'm so underprepared and the test is week after next."

 _I can help!_ Adrien's inner voice screamed at him to seize the chance to spend time with his Princess but the words caught in his throat. He coughed before feeling a surge of confidence as he reached for the charming charisma he finds behind the mask. Taking a sharp breath he grinned and shifted so he was leaning against the table beside her seat. "Allow me to assist you then."

"What?" She turned her head so quickly that he almost winced.

"Sure…" His confidence faded at her reaction and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and her cheeks burned because suddenly all she could see was _Chat._ "I like Physics." _And I like you._ He left the second part of that sentence unsaid.

Marinette, as of a few weeks ago had begun to see similarities between the two boys that held places in her heart but she wasn't about to admit that her perfect, gentlemanly, dream-boat Adrien was the flirty, adorable, not-so-suave Chat Noir. She'd tried to ignore all the signs, they way they-he?-stretched, the way they sat on ledges and windowsills, the strong hands that catch her when she falter, Chat's smirk that Adrien occasionally wears and the fact that Adrien had called her "Princess" on no less than sixteen occasions-not that she was counting-and most worryingly the kind eyes that always burned with undisguised affection even her dreams.

The revelation that they _might_ be the same person had shaken her and as a result she had been unable to talk to either Adrien or Chat for a week, in one particular fit of hysteria, she had slapped Chat across the face for trying to help her stand after slipping off a roof because he'd smiled at her in a way that was so very _Adrien_ and in the same day tore down everything Adrien related in her room and threw it away.

"Are you sure? I actually don't know anything at all it might be a long day."

Adrien winked and pulled the chair out from beside her, pulling her book towards him.

"No problems Princess we've got ages to work together right?"

Marinette's face burned and she looked to Alya for help, but the red-head was no longer beside her, though Marinette caught a flash of plaid as it disappeared around the corner.

"Yeah." She turned back to the blonde boy beside her, ignoring the fact that his natural musk reminded her of late Parisian nights and rooftop terraces with bluebell flowers and full moons that burned a silhouette with cat ears into her mind.

"So I guess you didn't do so well on the mock exam?"

"No." Marinette screwed up her nose in distaste. "No I didn't."

Adrien stared at her, seeing only Ladybug on the roof of the Louvre for a moment before blinking quickly and returning to Marinette and library.

"Do you want to show me? We can go over what you got wrong."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Marinette bit her lip. "You might be offended that I did so badly." She laughed a little, oblivious to the green eyes fixed on her lips before reaching into her page and handing him the test face down. He shook his head; a bright red set his face ablaze, as he ignored the pink lips that beckoned to him.

"It can't be that bad." He turned the paper over, ignoring the bright red '33/100' that was stamped in the top corner of the paper.

Marinette hid her head in her hands in shame. "I told you it's bad."

"Not to worry my lady, I'll help you out."

Her body twitched at the way the name rolled off his tongue, as though he'd said it a thousand times before. But then again, hadn't he? Hadn't she spent the last three nights writhing in agony because she was sure she had fallen in love with the same boy twice, but at the same time she couldn't allow herself to hope because what if she was wrong? Hadn't she desperately steeled herself against that dream because even _she_ wasn't that lucky?

"I really appreciate it Adrien." She lifted her head and smiled at him, face burning.

"No-No problem." He choked on his words as her smile lit up the room, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

The two bent over the mock exam, Adrien's block handwriting scrawled over the page with Marinette's neat cursive handwriting underneath as she attempted to answer questions herself.

"Like that?"

"Uh, not quite."

He placed his hand over hers as he took the pen from her fingers, ignoring the tingling he felt in his fingers that travelled up his arm like fire.

"So here, s equals the displacement right? So force is spring constant times the displacement, then the elastic potential energy equals the spring constant times displacement squared." He finished writing out the equation and handed her the pencil. "Got it?"

Her eyes widened in panic, she shook her head before rubbing her face-that was rapidly losing colour-with her hands. "No. I don't understand. Adrien I'm going to fail!"

"Hey, don't worry." He hesitated for a second before placing his hand over hers. "You've got two whole weeks and I can help you."

Marinette looked up at him, eyes panicked and teary. "Really?" She sniffed.

"Yeah, of course." He smiled reassuringly and stroked her hand with his fingertips lightly before withdrawing hastily. That was definitely not something Adrien would do. He fought back a grin as a bright red blush started at her nose and spread to her ears and neck in less than a second.

"Um." She struggled to remember how to speak. "Um, but you're so busy with your modeling jobs right?"

He shrugged. "Not a lot since my dad is in the middle of designing a new line. After my Chinese tutoring in the morning on Saturday I should be free until four if you want to come over?"

"What?"

"Well today is Friday and the weekend is the perfect time to work on it." He hesitated. "Unless you had other plans?"

"Yes. I mean, no. No, I'm free. I mean-"

Adrien chuckled and his mouth curled into a cheeky grin and Marinette's stuttering worsened. He looked so _Chat_ -like. "I got it. Don't stress." His phone buzzed and he frowned as he looked at it. "Crap." He looked up at her. "I'm really sorry Mari, my driver is waiting out the front."

"Oh! No, no it's okay." She smiled.

He stood and pulled his bag over his shoulder. "Do you want a ride home?"

"It's less than a two minute walk to my house." She laughed.

To his credit he had the decency to look sheepish. "Oh yeah."

Marinette slipped the papers in her bag and the two of the walked out to the front of the school where Adrien's driver was parked, presumably playing the Kim Kardashian Hollywood app on his phone while he waited for his charge.

"Thanks for your help today."

"Hey you can pay me in pastries." He joked, nudging her with his hip.

She laughed. "Sure."

"I'll text you later."

"Okay."

She fidgeted with the strap of her bag and looked down at her shoes.

"Mari?"

Her head snapped up at his voice, he held his phone loosely in his hand. "I need your number to text you."

"Oh right!" She rattled off her phone number and he tapped the screen. _Should I name it Princess or My Lady?_ He tapped the lettering quickly before she could see the name he'd entered.

"Come here." He took her waist gently and pulled her close, the selfie camera turned on. "For your caller ID." He explained.

A split second before his finger tapped the button, he turned his face slightly. The resulting picture was perfect, a red-faced Marinette, eyes wide, mouth slightly open with surprise as Adrien's lips made a small indent in her cheek, smug grin visible even from the side.

* * *

 **12-Dead Wrong (DO YOU WANT FLUFF OR ANGST THIS IS A VERY IMPORANT QUESTION?)**


	12. 12-Dead Wrong

**Inspired by Papaya, the sweetest fruit around.**

 **Aged up a bit, ergo, established MariChat "friendship"**

 **Sexually frustrated Adrien anyone?**

 **12-Dead** **Wrong**

 **...placed bets with Alix and Alya as to the nature of their relationship. Alix seemed to favour the 'secret lovers' scheme while Nino had settled for 'secretly dating' Alya was less sure and had instead put up twenty euros to 'not dating at all.'**

* * *

Marinette's eyes widened at the state of the washing machine. Bubbles spilled over the edge and water covered the floor, making it incredibly slippery.

"I'm so sorry love." Sabine said, her sleeves rolled up past her elbows as she dug Marinette's jumper out of the watery, soapy mess. "You won't be able to wear this, you'll have to find something else."

"Mum I don't _have_ anything else; _all_ my jumpers are in there!" Marinette wrung her hands together anxiously.

"Don't you have that black one?" Her mum returned to digging the clothes out of the washing machine.

Marinette started in surprise. She did have a black hoodie, but it wasn't one she had intended to be worn outside. In fact, she'd rather freeze to death than wear it out in public. What if _he_ saw it? That was a disaster waiting to happen. The snow continued to fall outside and one step into the frosty air caused Marinette to race back inside and search for the incriminating black jumper, furiously cursing the hero of Paris, for who else could have bestowed her with such bad luck that she had to wear such an embarrassing piece of clothing to school? She pulled it over her head and after a moment's hesitation she tugged the bands on her twin-tails releasing them, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. She just _knew_ that her friends would tease her about her choice of attire. And she _knew_ she would die of embarrassment if a certain cat saw it. She was very, very wrong.

She was early today, she wasn't sure if she was grateful that people wouldn't stare at her when she walked in late or if she wished she'd stayed home until the bell rang. Her female classmates-Rose in particular-loved it they demanded to know if they were part of a new Chat Noir line and when Marinette revealed that it was a one-of-a-kind sweater, Rose voiced her disappointment. Marinette hadn't expected such a positive reaction to her new hoodie. When she originally made it, it had been for her own pleasure, a secret for herself that no one would understand or even see and she was relieved that no-one questioned the choice of wording emblazoned on the front.

During the end of their lunch break, Adrien arrived and wandered into the classroom where Rose had demanded Marinette properly model her new jumper. The black hoodie with the word 'Princess'-a paw print above the 'i'-stitched across the front in pink cursive caught his eye immediately and he felt a smug grin stretch itself onto his features as he slid into his seat. A strange sense of possession rolled over him and he found he was unable to wipe the stupid smile off his face. Chat Noir would certainly be paying his 'friend' a visit tonight. He peeked at her from under his lashes utterly satisfied with the current state of events as Marinette walked up and down the front of the classroom with his secret pet name for her splashed across her chest. _Mine_ , _mine, mine, mine,_ his heart sang. Her hips swayed tantalisingly and his tongue flicked across his lips without his permission as his eyes travelled her form. He blinked several times to clear his vision. He was coming dangerously close to the kind of thoughts he should definitely _not_ be having at school lest he gain a _problem_. In fact, he shouldn't be having those thoughts at _all_ she was his _friend_ for crying out loud and it wasn't like they were a couple or anything. _But then_... he thought, _people have done_ things _without being a couple and- Ah! What are you doing, stop it. Poor Marinette, she'd hate you if she knew!_

She didn't object to other things.

The sinful part of his brain argued. _In fact, she was quite an..._ active _participant. And it's very obvious she has feelings for you so you should just call her your girlfriend now and get it over with._

He squeezed his eyes shut to ignore the voice that demanded he do something about-or to-the girl in front of him and lowered his gaze to Nino's history notes, green eyes strayed once again to Marinette and this time they fixed on her hair. It was loose and swung at her shoulders with every movement, glittering satin that framed her face and made her bright eyes piercing. They made brief eye contact and his flirty remark died in his throat as she _smirked_ at him. His stomach twisted and his fingers itched. Did she know he was Chat Noir? Did she figure out exactly with whom she had been sharing moonlight trysts? Did she do this on purpose to tease him? To taunt him? Surely even she wouldn't be that cruel? His thoughts wandered to stolen moments in her room and he groaned internally. Yes, yes she would do that. But as he watched her flush from the attention he was struck with the thought that if she had somehow discovered he was Chat Noir, surely she would have focused more of her attention on him? She would have said something flirtatious by now and grinned as he writhed under her gaze, unable to even touch her in front of their classmates. She hadn't done this on purpose and the thought comforted him, but it didn't lessen the dull ache that had begun to settle in the pit of his stomach. He tore his eyes away from her legs, long, curvy and inviting in a skirt and leggings, and placed his forehead on the cool table a soft moan escaping his lips. Studiously ignoring the beautiful giggles that resounded in his heart he wrestled with the sinner in his mind, furiously demanding that it go and sit in the corner and not think about the things he was thinking of doing to Marinette.

"You okay man?" Nino whispered. Adrien turned his head to the side to look at his friend. He was grinning slightly and Adrien suspected Nino was _fully_ aware of the source of his discomfort. Nino was not oblivious to the way Adrien had been looking at his classmate for the past few months and had in fact placed bets with Alix and Alya as to the nature of their relationship. Alix seemed to favour the 'secret lovers' scheme while Nino had settled for 'secretly dating' Alya was less sure and had instead put up twenty euros to 'not dating at all.'

"I think I ate something bad." He lied, before covering his face with his hand and sitting upright again, determined this time, to not think about the time he spent in Marinette's room. To not think about her soft, soft lips that trailed loving, gentle kisses up his neck and along his jaw or her hand that stroked his hair as they watched movies or her voice that could go from sugar-sweet to sultry-vixen in a matter of seconds or her legs that fit neatly over his hips or- He shook his head and bit his lip in agony. He'd been at school for less than fifteen minutes and she'd already tied him up in knots. That had to be a new record.

His eyes strayed back to her, purposefully avoiding certain parts of her physique. Marinette began to spin around for a final turn when Nino pointed out something that did things to Adrien's stomach.

"Hey Mari, are they _ears_?" Marinette and Adrien froze while Alix peered over her shoulder to look at the hood.

She faced Nino in surprise but before she could react, Alix pounced on her, putting up the hood to showcase two black leather ears on the top of the hood. Adrien's mouth felt dry and he ran his tongue over his lower lip as Marinette's face changed into a beautiful shade of red. Something stirred in his stomach and he desperately tried to get rid of the sensation. _Think of something else, think of something else_ he chanted.

"Meow." Alix commanded placing her hands on her hips.

"What? No!" She bought her clutched hands to her chest and he noticed that the sleeves were slightly too long to be practical, coving the bottom half of her palms. He wondered if she hadn't finished making it yet, or if it was intentional. He suspected the latter. The less angelic side of him registered the pink on the palm side of the sleeve and smirked in primal satisfaction as it recognised a paw pad. She bit her lip and his eyes zeroed in on the soft pink before he looked away again, focusing his gaze out the window instead.

"Do it!" Alix pulled at one of the ears and poked the blushing girl in the side.

Marinette ducked her head in submission and he couldn't help but watch as she raised a hand in a paw-like gesture, fingers lightly curled. _Please Marinette don-_ "Meow?" She offered, tipping her hand forward in a wave. _Oh for the love of-_ He all but slammed his head on the table in frustration while Rose and Alya cooed over Marinette, her face still a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"Isn't she cute?" Alya asked him as patted Marinette's cheek. The bell rang and everyone returned to their seats, Marinette was yet to remove her hood.

Adrien spun in his seat. If she was going to torture him then so be it. He'd be able to see her tonight anyway and he'd be damned if she was getting off lightly during school even if she didn't know he was Chat. Her blue eyes peeked up at him through her fringe. "Very adorable." He said, enunciating each syllable with care. He felt his smirk grow wider at her flustered expression. "Who's the lucky guy?" He asked cheekily.

"W-w-what?"

He jabbed his chest with his thumb, where the word 'Princess' would be if he was wearing the jumper. "Can't be a princess without a prince." He explained, resting an elbow on Marinette's desk.  
Marinette squeaked in surprise and Alya snorted. "Don't be sexist of course she can." When Marinette didn't respond she glanced over at her friend. " _Is_ there someone?" She asked, eyebrow raised in surprise.

Marinette raised her hands in surrender. "No! No of course not!" She giggled nervously and a blush bloomed on her cheeks and Adrien's thoughts strayed once again to their midnight rendezvous.  
Alya opened her mouth to pursue the subject but the teacher called the class to order and she was forced to save it until after school.

* * *

Adrien didn't have a change to pursue Marinette after school as himself. She'd bolted as soon as the bell had rung and he felt disappointed. On the downside, he had fencing that afternoon and therefore wouldn't be able to see her until after his patrol but on the upside... He grinned, the dark was a much better ambience for the visit he had in mind.

He flew around the block and landed on her windowsill with a thump. He spotted her sitting on her lounge, looking deceptively innocent in pink pyjamas. He lifted the window and she didn't even glance up from her book as she greeted him.

"Good evening." She turned the page in her book and he crossed the room in half a second.  
He rested one knee up on the lounge and placed one hand on the armrest behind her back. Leaning in he plucked the book from her hands. "Hey, I'm reading that." She protested, looking up at him. His mouth curled into a grin and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It _is_ a good evening." He agreed, placing the book on the floor and shifting his weight so he was leaning entirely on the chair. He kissed the junction of her neck and her jaw before pressing his lips to hers. She hummed against him and reached up to wind her arms around his neck, pulling him down. His gloved hands brushed against her cheek and she broke away first.

"Come back here, I'm not done yet." He whined, his eyes still closed as he chased her. He heard her giggle and she pressed a chaste (to his disappointment) kiss to his lips.

"Did you miss me that much kitty-cat?" She laughed, his eyes fluttered open at the sound and he smiled at her before sliding onto the couch beside her, draping his leg over hers. If she didn't want to kiss him, he wasn't going to force her. And it wasn't like being close to her at all was something to sneeze at. Just holding her like this was a gift in and of itself and he wouldn't trade her for the world.

"Of course, my Princess." He replied easily, slipping an arm behind her shoulder. "And I did hear about your interesting choice of clothing today. Cat ears hmm?" He nuzzled her neck affectionately and she giggled before sobering up.

"I didn't have anything else to wear!" She protested, though she didn't push him away as he kissed her hair and then her ear.

"Mmhmm." The sound rumbled in his chest and she narrowed her eyes at him. He ignored her glare and continued to shower her in soft kisses.

"The washing machine broke." She continued. "And it was all I had." He chuckled and rested his forehead against her temple.

"I don't mind Princess." He said quietly. His warm breath ghosted her face. "Especially when it's so obviously meant for me to see." He smirked against her skin as she flushed and pushed at his chest.  
"No it was not!" The smile receded slightly as he studied her. Was she actually annoyed or was she pretending? He chose to back down in case it was the latter.

"Apologises my dear." He raised their intertwined hands to his lips and pressed the back of her hand to them. "My knightly-

"Oh!" The breathy gasp slipped out and she sat up grinning. "That reminds me." She detached herself from him and he pouted as she crossed the room and opened her wardrobe. She pulled out a black item of clothing and threw it at him. "Here." She said, closing the door behind her. It was a hoodie in the same style as hers but when he turned it around to inspect the front he grinned with delight.

"Matching hoodies Princess?" She shrugged and crawled into his lap.

"A kid in my class asked about it, you're not exactly the princely type but I figured a knight would suit you just fine." She pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw.

He examined the jumper carefully and then, to his horror, noticed a very big mistake. He wondered if he should point it out or let it go and she looked up at him, concerned.

"You don't have to wear it!" She blurted out. "I just thought it'd be funny." She fidgeted with the zipper on his pocket nervously. "You don't even have to keep it. I'll just-" She reached for it and he snatched it back with surprising speed.

"I love it I swear." He promised, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"But?" She prompted, biting her lip.

"You spelt it wrong." He said hesitantly. He wasn't sure how she'd take to learning she'd made a mistake but he was about to find out. He flatted the jumper out so she could see the gold lettering across the front.

"No I didn't." She said after examining it for a moment. "It looks right to me." He was about to point out the mistake but then she laughed. "No, Chat it's _supposed_ to be spelt that way. It's a pun." He must have looked confused because she tapped his cheek and then the lettering as she read it out for him. "Knight in Shining _Amour_." She glanced up at him and flushed at his open mouth.

 _Oh._

 _Amour_ not armour but _amour_.

 _Oh._

He grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her before pulling her to his chest as he laughed. "I see. How could I have been so silly as to think my _purr_ -fect Princess could make such a careless mistake?" He spoke between his kisses and her giggles. His heart felt light and he thought his face might break.

"I don't know." She laughed. "I am the cat's pyjamas." She winked and he roared with laughter, chest shaking with the sound.

"I'd pre- _furr_ you weren't wearing any pyjamas." He grinned and she rolled her eyes before twisting her body to straddle him.

"Yes I know." She sighed in mock-disappointment. "But-"

He kissed her to stop her words. "I know." He said, pulling back slightly, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. "I'm only teasing."

She grinned against his lips and reached up to hold his face. "I'm going to kiss you now." She told him. He didn't protest.

* * *

Ladybug hid her grin as Chat swung his weight back and forwards cheerfully. He was gushing about the jumper his friend had made for him and how they were _matching_ and how his had a clawsome _pun_ on it and how they were _matching_ jumpers.  
She giggled behind her hand. "A female friend then Chat?" He paused before grinning at her widely and tucking his hands behind his head.  
"Yeah. She's pretty amazing." He said. His voice contained no trace of 'I'm trying to make you jealous' it was simply an admission of his affection. "Did you know she bakes?" He asked her.  
She rolled her eyes. "You mentioned it once or twice."  
His ears flattened against his skull and his smile drooped. "Sorry I just-"  
Ladybug waved her hand at him. "Don't worry about it. I know you like her a lot." At those words, his eyes misted over and a dewy, sappy, lopsided smile painted itself onto his face and if it wasn't directed at her-well at Marinette-she thought she might have been sick.  
"Yeah. I do."  
"Aw." She said teasingly, giving his shoulder a playful shove. "You've got it bad." She said laughing, she had meant it as a joke and really wasn't expecting the red flush that spread rapidly across his cheeks and down his neck. She saw his Adam's Apple bob as he swallowed hard. "Seriously?" She asked.  
"Don't make it sound like a bad thing." He said defensively, refusing to meet her eyes. He lifted a hand and scratched at his shoulder. "I want to get her a gift."

The sudden change in topic startled her, but she wasn't going to press for more information that he wasn't willing to give. But the choice of topic confused her. Christmas was over and her birthday wasn't until August  
"Is it her birthday?" She hedged, leaning forwards to glimpse his expression. She wasn't aware that Chat even knew her birthday. It wasn't information she'd shared with him yet.

"What?" He glanced over at her quizzically before his expression cleared. "Oh, no, no her birthday isn't until August." Ladybug tried to hide her surprise, she didn't recall telling him her birthday so _how did he know?_ "But she _made_ that hoodie. I can't not give her something in return."

 _Nope, nope, nope._ Ladybug flapped her arms around. She'd never been on the receiving end of a gift from Chat, but she suspected, that, like everything else about it, it would be extravagant which could become a problem in the future. If she nipped it in the bud now, it wouldn alleviate those problems for both Ladybug and Marinette. "Maybe she was just being nice?" She offered, getting ready to prepare a big speech about how she probably just wanted to give him something since they couldn't see each other often and how he shouldn't feel obligated to get her something because then she'd get him something else (or she assumed she would, from what Chat has told her about his mystery girl, because she's never actually met his 'friend') and that it would just become a big cycle. But before she could get a word out he stood up, grinning so widely she thought his face would break.

"Ladybug I have the perfect gift!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. "My dad has all these clothes leftover from his new li-uh, work. I know exactly what she'd love!" He stopped shaking her and stepped back. "Thanks, you've been a big help!" He sprung away and Ladybug sat on the roof, wondering what exactly in a past life she'd done wrong to deserve such a weird best friend. Though, she did have Alya, so that evened things out a bit.

Marinette was hunched over her sketchbook by the time he arrived the next evening. He knocked on the window twice before lifting it and slipping inside. He smirked as her mouth twitched, acknowledging his presence and he noticed she was wearing the jumper that had quickly become his favourite piece of clothing that she owned.

"Hey there." She glanced over at him and rolled her eyes when she saw that he was wearing the hoodie she'd given him. She felt the beginnings of a blush form under her skin because they were wearing _matching_ outfits but she pushed the feeling down because she didn't even know his name, and she couldn't let him know she was so _pleased_ to see him with her mark on him in plain sight.

He tugged at the collar. "This is so warm Princess." Marinette felt a strange sense of satisfaction and affection, he was wearing something she made, and something that was essentially a confession of her feelings for him.

She grinned and stretched her arms over her head before standing up and walking over to him. "Of course it is. I made it."  
He wound a hand around her waist and raised an eyebrow at her she noticed one hand remained behind his back and she tried to peek over his shoulder to see what he was hiding. He spun her around so her back was flush with his chest, his hand still resting on her hip.

"Hey." She whined. "I want to see." She tried to wriggle away put he placed his lips on her shoulder, effectively stopping her escape and sending any thoughts about what he was hiding straight out the window. He hummed against her exposed skin, sending thrills down her spine, her hands balling into fists as he worked his way up her neck. "Chat." His name was a breath on her lips and she titled her head away from him to give him unrestricted access to her throat.  
"That's new." His chin rested on her shoulder and she opened her eyes to see what he was referring to. A full length mirror with a white frame leant against the opposite wall.

"Ah." She felt a twisting sensation in her stomach which confused her. Why would she feel nervous about a mirror? "For my designs, I didn't like taking them down to the bathroom to see them from all angles and-" His lips on her neck stopped her words. She looked at the mirror again and this time couldn't stop the blush from spreading to her ears and neck. Reflected back at her was her and Chat, his arm curled around her body, hand resting just below her ribcage, fingers easily reaching the other side of her torso. His head was facing her neck and she could feel his lips moving almost chastely up and down her skin, sending wave after wave of affection through her. He stopped his showering of kisses and rested his chin on her shoulder again, cheeks pressed together.

"Don't you think we look cute together Princess?" He winked at her reflection and he grinned when she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say kitty." But she couldn't exactly _deny_ it. Their features-what she could see of his anyway-seemed to balance perfectly, complimentary to one another. Beside him she could almost pretend she was beautiful.

"I have a gift for you." He purred he straightened up and moved his hand to her shoulder instead. "But you're going to have to close your eyes okay?" She raised her eyebrow at him and he laughed. "No funny business I swear Princess. Cat's honour." He raised his hand up in an 'I swear' gesture and she closed her eyes.

At first he was surprised that she did, he thought she'd have put up more of a fight or at least protest some, but her display of trust warmed him and he ran his fingers over her hair before stepping away from her. "No peeking." He warned. "Or else."

"Or else what?" Her eyelids twitched but they remained closed.

He sighed dramatically. "I'll be forced to kiss you." He unpicks the drawstrings of the bag and withdraws the gift.

"Doesn't sound like much of a punishment to me." She hums. He chuckles and slips his arms over her shoulders, positioning the dress over her body as though she was wearing it.  
"I guess not. You can look now."

Marinette opens her eyes and catches his eyes in the mirror before they are drawn to something else. "Ah!" She gasps. He was holding up a black qipao in front of her. It was short, ending just above her knees and the sleeves flowed almost seamlessly from the rest of the dress. But what caught her eye was the gold embroidery that started at the left shoulder and stretched to the right side of the waist line. Tiny, intricate, beautiful golden flowers were stitched onto the qipao, each flower was no bigger than her fingernail and so obviously hand stitched with love that she wanted to cry. She'd never owned something so beautiful before, she'd never had the money for that kind of silk or thread even when she'd started selling her clothes; she often only had just enough to start making the next piece.

"Do you like it?" Dimly she registered Chat's voice and she looked up at his face in the mirror.

"Where did you get this?"She breathed. She raised her hands and ran her finger along the button and then the embroidery. It didn't surprise her that it was made of fabric rather than plastic, though without further inspection, she wouldn't be able to tell what it was.

"I'm very well connected." He smiled and pressed his lips to her temple. "Is it safe to assume that you like it?" She didn't, couldn't answer, because suddenly she caught sight of the tag and even though it was upside down, she'd recognise it anywhere. Gabriel Agreste. She looked up at Chat. She wanted to kiss him, slap him, shaking him and hug him because this must have cost him a fortune and she knew she'd never seen it before which meant it wasn't for sale yet, or even worse, it was _one-of-a-kind_ and it was so much more beautiful than the silly jumper she'd given him.

"Chat I can't-"

"La, la, la, la!" He sang, grinning. "No take-backies my fair Princess." She tried not to smile at his grin, it was the same one he'd worn the night before when he told Ladybug he had the perfect gif-

" _Can't be a princess without a prince."_

 _"And I did hear about your interesting choice of clothing today."_

 _"Her birthday's not until August."_

 _"My dad has all these clothes from his new li-uh, work."_

 _"My dad."_

 _Gabriel Agreste._

 _Adrien..._

 _ADRIEN?_

"Princess?"

* * *

 **SOMEONE DREW FANART FOR CHAPTER 7? It is legit the cutest thing I've ever seen in my entire life and I screamed for like 5 minutes. I'd love to give you guys the link but doesn't allow it so if the artist would like to message me either on tumblr (lastroseofspring) or on here so I can show you guys that would be great because everyone needs to see it. Chat in the Cat beanie is too cute, I cry.**

 **Prompt 13-Running Away**


	13. 13-Running Away

**13-Running Away**

 **HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE! I MUST HAVE DRAFTED A THOUSAND TIMES! I'LL TELL YOU I'M SORRY, FOR UPDATING SO LATE. BUT THE LIBARAY IS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS.**

 **So yes… Sorry?**

 **Merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate it!  
And Happy New Year! May your headcannons become cannon!**

Marinette's wet hand gripped her umbrella tighter, determined not to drop it a second time and hurried along the dark street. She'd been caught up at Alya's house, planning Nino's surprise birthday party had taken longer than she'd thought and then she'd had to backtrack to the supermarket because she'd forgotten the chocolate chips her father had asked her to pick up. These events meant that she had no other choice but to walk home in the dark and to make matters worse, the storm clouds that had been looming all day had finally unleashed a torrent of sleet upon Paris, accompanied by a mean, wailing wind that made cafés pull their outdoor dining sets inside.

Bright headlights flashed through the rain and she paused at the side of the road to let it pass. Water sprayed up viciously onto her front, and she cursed at the driver silently for not being more careful as she pulled her hood up over her head again and wiped her dripping face with the sleeve of her raincoat.

Thunder rolled overhead aggressively and lightning cracked through the sky illuminating the street momentarily. The rain was pouring down harder now, obscuring her vision, the sounds of Paris dulled by the constant thrumming of fat raindrops.

Marinette crossed the street quickly, red boots splashing in the flooded street, nearly tripping on the curb in her haste. She had opted to take her usual ally short cut over the longer, but better lit street and after a moment she found herself wishing she hadn't. Her senses were dulled in this weather and if someone were to sneak up on her, she wouldn't notice until it was too late. She had left Tikki at home, an Akuma had attacked that morning and as it was _very_ unlikely that two would attack in the same day, the Kwami had accepted Marinette's offer to stay at home with cookies, chocolate milk, Marinette's computer and the first season of Cake Boss. Unfortunately for Marinette, if she were to encounter any danger, she'd have to rely on her regular Sabine-taught Martial Arts skills (which was nothing if not deadly, but she'd rather run away from a grown man with evil intent than fight him).

The ally was dark and eerie, sight and sound was limited and she walked slowly, body coiled as tight as a spring, ready to drop the kilograms of chocolates and bolt at a second's notice. A pair of eyes squinted at her through the rain, the owner of the eyes shivered violently and suddenly she felt its gaze burning holes in her skull. She turned to see a shivering form hiding between the overflowing dumpster and the stacks of soaked cardboard boxes. She hesitated for a second before she walked over to it quickly. It wouldn't be the first time she'd found a stray in this alley, and more often than not, she'd take them home until the storm passed and then locate their owner afterwards. Her parents didn't mind as long as she kept them upstairs in her room and away from the bakery. Marinette crouched down beside the animal with bright eyes that watched her apprehensively, unable to decide if it should run away. Marinette titled her head to the side, wondering if she should pet it or not. The eyes glowing slightly in the dark, cat eyes.

"Minou, Minou, Minou." She sung quietly, extending her hand to find soft, wet and surprisingly long fur and she could feel the cat shaking with cold. Her eyes widened in surprise when she trailed a hand across the top of the stray's head and couldn't locate any ears. She lightly scratched at the spot where the ears should be and heard an unrecognizable sound reverberate from the animal. She squinted in the dark, suddenly unsure as to if she'd come across a dog or a cat. She moved her hand down, hoping to find ears to help her guess what kind of animal she'd found but instead her hand found a very cold, very soft, very _human_ cheek and she froze in shock.

"Marinette?" The sound she heard before comes again, and this time she recognized it as her name, the voice was thick and raw and she knows, she _knows_ the owner of that voice, but the rain made it hard to hear and she squinted as the eyes filled with recognition. A car drove past; lighting up the alley for a split second but it was enough. Marinette nearly dropped her umbrella in shock and humiliation because _Adrien Agreste_ was huddled in front of her, hiding behind a _dumpster_ , shivering in his _pajamas_ , soaked to the core and she was _touching his face_ and she had just _mistaken him for a stray cat._

"Adrien? What are you doing here?" Her voice caught and she forgot to retract her hand even though his cold skin was blistering against her warm fingers. He didn't respond to her and she repeated herself, louder this time so he can hear her over the rain.

"I.. uh.." His teeth were chattering making it difficult to make out his words and Marinette suddenly became very aware of their situation. He was very clearly freezing, barefoot, in his pyjamas, half-drowned and currently hidden in a smelly, garbage lined alley way in what was nearly the middle of the night. Her shy attitude was repelled instantly as she grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. His sorry state had activated what Alya referred to as her 'Mama-Mari-Mode' in which Marinette turned into a mother-hen. She gripped his shoulder and pulled him under the umbrella with her.  
"I'm going to take you home with me." She shouted at him. "Okay?"

He was closer now and she saw him shake his head, droplets of rain flew from his hair. She rolled her eyes, shrugged off her raincoat and forced his arms through the sleeves. It was impossible to button it up, but it was at least a little warmer that what he had been wearing and she gripped his arms with force that surprised him.  
"Don't be an idiot. Come home with me." She looped her arm with his and tugged him along in the direction of her house.

Adrien stumbled behind her blindly, her fingers had been warm when they brushed against his cheek and she was clearly not going to take no for an answer. She was a lot stronger than she looked, she had been able to lift him to his feet with little assistance from himself and now she was basically dragging him behind her. At first, he thought she'd seen him, but when she'd called him "Minou" and felt her fingers dig through his hair, he realized that she'd mistaken him for a stray. He laughed humourlessly, the sound stolen by the wind. A stray cat taken in by a nice girl as a charity case. How fitting for him.

Marinette fumbled with her keys and Adrien held the umbrella as she put them in the lock. She spared him a grateful smile before unlocking the door and shoving him inside. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what do to and then he felt Marinette's hands behind him, tugging the too-small raincoat off him. He obliged and turned to face her as she put it on a hook and took off her boots, resting a hand on the wall for balance.  
"Shower." She said, taking his arm again and directing him up the stairs. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, flicking on a light he saw a small bathroom. She pulled a towel from the cupboard and threw it at him. "Here. Take as long as you want okay? I'm going to find you some clothes; I think I've got some stuff I made earlier this month, otherwise you'll have to wear something of mine or my dad's." She smiled at him and stepped out of the room. "The kitchen is across the hall to the left okay? We walked through it as we came in." She started to pull the door shut and he launched forwards to grab it before it closed.  
"Wait." He rasped. She paused and looked up at him. "Aren't-aren't you going to ask, what-what I was doing there?" He sneezed twice and her eyebrows twisted into a concerned expression. She shook her head.  
"I do think I need to know why you were outside, in the rain, at night, alone, next to a dumpster, barefoot and in your pyjamas." She said and his heart jumped into his mouth as he tried to come up with a convincing lie. "But," She continued. "I think you should have a shower first. You're frozen." Marinette reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'll make some hot chocolate okay? And something to eat. What do you feel like?"

"Uh." He sneezed again and she dropped her hand. "I don't -." He mumbled the first few words before looking down at her. Her expression shocked him, his words leaving him. Her eyes were soft and full of concern, not pity, her mouth turned down in an uncharacteristic frown, eyebrows knitted together, three deep creases on her forehead. No-one had ever looked at him like that, not since…  
"Okay Adrien." Marinette patted his shoulder with her hand and closed the door with a click. She sent a text to her parents letting them know that she'd found a classmate stuck in the rain and that he was probably going to sleep over for the night before she flew upstairs and rummaged through her designs. Tikki flew around her head as she searched for something warm, a torrent of questions being fired at her. When Marinette located a pair of grey sweatpants, a white shirt and a black jumper, she laid them out on her lounge and began to explain the story to her Kwami.  
"So." Tikki said, once Marinette had finished. "Adrien Agreste is _naked_ in your house right now and you're totally okay with that?" Marinette froze. Mama-Mari-Mode usually threw all her inhibitions out the window, but now that he was somewhere safe and warm, they began to creep up on her. Her eyes found the posters of him and she howled and began to tear them down and stuff them in her draw.  
"I didn't think of that! Oh Tikki what am I going to do? I basically kidnapped him!" She waved her hands around as the last of the Adrien posters came down, next was the wallpaper which she changed to the first image she found without glancing at it properly she guessed it was unassuming and normal, a regular screensaver for a regular girl who did _not_ have a crush on the naked boy in her bathroom. At this thought, her face turned red and she began wailing again. Tikki floated near her shoulder, patting her gently to calm her down.  
"It's okay Marinette, he probably doesn't mind being fussed over. After all, his house is pretty gloomy. Most people only take care of him because they have to. Not because they want to."

Marinette looked up at the Kwami. Tikki was right. Adrien _might_ not mind being taken care of. From what she knew of him-and had heard from Nino-he liked being taken care of on an occasion, though only by his friends. Like the time Nino had talked to his father on his behalf or the time Marinette had carried his books to all his classes because he had broken his foot and needed both hands to use his crutches (though to this day, they were not entirely clear on _how_ that injury had occurred) it wasn't that he liked having things done for him and he certainly wasn't expectant that he was going to be taken care of, but Nino had confided in her that Adrien loved gestures of genuine good-will or affection from his friends. Which was understandable of course, who didn't? The question was, did he consider Marinette a good enough friend to; A) Shower in her house and B) Let her take care of him because he was obviously distraught and completely frozen. She discovered the answer was actually C) Both of the above, when she walked back downstairs and heard the shower running.  
Marinette tapped on the door and opened it a fraction before placing the folded clothes on the counter in the bathroom that was reachable from the crack in the door. She then fumbled around in the kitchen, heating up treats from downstairs and mixing hot chocolate in two mugs, occasionally checking her phone for a response from her parents. Who, after ten minutes, had replied with "Of course honey, but they'll have to sleep in your room because Grandma will be here tomorrow morning." Fortunately for Marinette, she received this text while Adrien was still in the bathroom and therefore didn't have to explain why she was so flustered and she had time to double check that there were no incriminating photographs or memorabilia of her house guest in her room. She was sitting at the kitchen counter when Adrien emerged from the bathroom, hair still slightly damp, but she was pleased to see his pallor had reverted back to an acceptable hue of pink.

"Thanks Marinette." The corner of his mouth twisted into a half-smile that she knew to be forced. He shuffled awkwardly before she realized he was holding his wet pajamas.  
"O-o-oh, here." She stood and walked over to him shyly. "I can p-p-put those in the dr-dryer." She motioned for him to give her the wet garments and he did. "H-help yourself to anything you w-want." Marinette cursed internally at the stutter that had returned and she hurried away into the laundry. She allowed herself a few extra moments to collect herself before she returned to the kitchen, breathing through her nose and reminding herself that if _Adrien_ out of people was in the situation he had been in, then something must be very, very wrong. This thought was enough for her to snap back into her mother hen mode. She walked out of the laundry to see Adrien standing awkwardly in her kitchen. She strode over and snatched the plates off the counter.  
"Let's go. You're staying here tonight." She turned on her heel and began the ascent to her bedroom, she was half-way up the stairs before she realized he still hadn't moved. "Adrien?" He looked up at her and her heart twisted at his broken expression. She placed the plates on the stairs and descended. "Hey? Adrien?" He reached for her as she approached and she found herself wrapped in his arms, he was holding her as though she were a lifeline. "Adrien?" Her voice was muffled by his chest and he pressed his cheek against her hair, one arm around her waist, the other clutching the back of her head. It was desperate, a need for physical contact, she could feel it in the way he held her, in the way his body shivered that was no longer just from the cold. She could tell it was desperate as she felt tiny raindrops land on her arm but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why it was raining indoors or why the droplets were so warm. She lifted her arms and returned the embrace; she didn't miss the squeeze of gratitude and she didn't miss the shuddering sigh that escaped his lips, almost as if he had been afraid that she would push him away. As if she could. As if she had the power to push him away when he had looked so desperate, so needing and so utterly alone. She waited for him to move first, something her mother had always told her niggled in the back of her mind, "When a child hugs you Marinette, make sure you're the last one to let go."

She heard her mother's words loud and clear and they had never seemed more relevant than in this moment. His shaking stopped after a moment and so did the raindrops he took three slow, deliberate breaths before straightening up and shifting his hold to her biceps.  
"I'm-"  
"If you're going to apologise, don't." Marinette interrupted him. "Please don't." She bit her lip, worried she'd overstepped her boundaries. His mouth opened and closed and opened again before he smiled, it was sad and heartbroken, but it was a real smile.  
"Thanks Marinette." He dropped his arms and stepped away. "I should go home now though."  
Marinette shook her head violently and a loud crack of thunder shook the kitchen as if to back her up. "There's no way I'm letting you go home in this weather. And…" She frowned. "And I do want to know why you were out there in the first place."  
He dropped his gaze to his bare feet. "Ah."  
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. He was going to avoid the conversation, she could feel it. "Don't you 'ah' me." She snapped. "You could have got kidnapped! You are Adrien Agreste after all, don't you know how dangerous it is not just for you, but for anyone to be out on a night like tonight? That's not to mention the danger of being run over, you weren't even wearing _shoes_! You could have stepped on glass, you could have been run over or struck by lightning, you weren't even wearing clothes! You were wearing ridiculous silk pajamas and don't even _try_ to pretend they're warm enough because they're not, then you could have gotten sick and oh my gosh I'm so sorry." She stopped speaking and clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. She couldn't believe it, first she'd mistaken him for a stray animal, then she'd basically kidnapped her classmate and now she was lecturing him and now he was laughing at her because, _oh my god am I saying all this out loud?_  
"Yeah you are." His eyes crinkled at the corners with laughter and she pressed her palms into her eyes with embarrassment.

"Stop laughing at me." She mumbled, refusing to look up.  
"Sorry Marinette. I'm not laughing at you I swear." She glanced up at him and dropped her hands away from her burning face. "I sort of…" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I ran away." Marinette's heart dropped to her stomach and her mouth became dry. He'd _run away?_ "It was childish and silly so… I should be going home." He shuffled on the spot. "I don't want to be a bother or anything."  
"It will bother me more if you go home." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them and her eyes widened at her boldness and she quickly tried to recover. "I said, I already set a food- and dried the sleep- I mean bed and, and food, and the-" Adrien's eyebrow disappeared into his hairline as she babbled.  
"Marinette?" He asked as her talk dwindled into silence.  
She sucked in a breath. "I've already made food and stuff and set up a bed for you and my parents don't mind if you stay over and you don't have a phone to call your house and I'm not letting you walk home and I'd feel much better if I knew you weren't alone because even if you don't like me, at least you're somewhere warm and safe and if you ran away, then something must be bothering you and I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it or if you don't want to talk about it that's fine, I won't even talk to you at all if you don't want me to but please don't leave because I'm worried about you and I don't want you to have to be alone."  
Adrien's face melted into surprise as she launched into her speech, her face becoming more and more expressive as she spoke, and her words began to run together at the end, though he wondered if it was because she was embarrassed or because she hadn't paused for breath. When she'd finished her face reddened with embarrassment and she looked away, avoiding his eyes. He wasn't quite sure which part of her speech he should address first but he decided to set something straight.  
"Marinette?" Her head jerked in response, but she still didn't meet his eyes. "I like you." It wasn't until much, much later that he realized his words could be construed as a confession but at the time he was only thinking about how much he needed the girl in front of him to realize he did, in fact consider her a friend. The words, however were not lost on Marinette and she squeaked incoherently until his stomach gurgled and she began fussing over him again, insisting he eat something.  
Eventually, after Marinette's battle with herself about looking after Adrien but not overstepping her boundaries and the whole a) he'd just been _naked_ in her house and b) " _I like you."_ The two made it up to Marinette's bedroom where a mattress had been set out and made on the floor.  
"You don't mind sleeping in here right? My grand-"  
"She's coming over tomorrow. You said that before." The words were kind but Marinette couldn't help but feel stupid.  
"Sorry." She put the plates of food down on the ground and bit her lip. "This probably isn't what you're used to either is it?" She gestured to her room as though she were shamefully presenting him with garbage.  
"I like your room." He offered grinning. It wasn't a lie. Her room was very unlike his, which was white, sterile and generic, while hers was very pink, very lived in and very personalized. Lanterns strung on the side of what looked like a loft, red flowers were stuck on the wall behind a pink chaise that sported a red parasol. Two mannequins stood side-by-side, one decorative, the other clearly in use, with fabrics pinned loosely together, ready to be stitched while her sketchbook lay on the floor beside it. It was a very real, very personal part of her life; he'd never even seen Nino's room before and something in him stirred happily. It was a very _Marinette_ room and he could easily picture her bent over her desk, studying late at night or lounging across her chaise, chatting to Alya about whatever it was girls talked about, boys probably, her arms waving wildly, face changing with each word. He glanced over at her, she was watching him nervously. "It definitely suits you Marinette."  
Her face reddened and she stammered about something that sounded like _'Oh my gosh this is so embarrassing'_ but Adrien wasn't listening, his eyes still roaming her bedroom until they landed onto her computer and her screen saver.  
"Is that you Marinette? And who are those girls?" He pointed to the computer and Marinette shrank back in horror. She was posing with two other girls, all wearing leather jackets; her in black, the blonde girl in pink and the pink haired girl in green. It would have been less embarrassing to have left it with his face! She rushed over to it to change it but he followed. "No, I'm sorry, I just was curious. You don't have to change it or anything."

She didn't listen and quickly turned off her computer before turning to him, face red once again. "That was a long time ago." She whispered, mortified.  
"Were you in a gang or something?" He asked jokingly, starting to laugh but when he noticed her face he stopped. "Seriously? A gang?"  
"Not a _gang_ , just…" Her eyes darted to the trapdoor on the ground and then to the window, searching for an escape. "It was a long time ago."  
"It looked pretty recent." He pressed her, his lack of social cues coming into play as he remained unaware of her discomfort.  
"It was taken like two days before you transferred, we disbanded after that." She bit her lip and their proximity dawned on him, he stepped backwards.  
"Who were those other girls?" He glanced at the screen again as if the picture were still there.  
"Um, Alix. And… Rose…" Her neck and ears grew warm and she shook her head. "We should eat now; the hot chocolate will get cold." As socially inept as he was, Adrien was able to identify the deliberate change in topic. So he stepped away and she immediately darted over to the plates and mugs on the ground, sitting back on her heels. He followed suit and sat opposite her, legs crossed.  
"Here." She pushed the plate in his direction first and picked up one of the mugs. "Take whatever you like."  
Adrien squinted at the food. Years of being a model had led to an inability to eat anything that hadn't been prepared with his job in mind. He had never eaten at a restaurant unless it was for a business meeting and even then he rarely ate a full meal.  
"Don't you like anything?" He glanced up at his classmate; she was watching him, observing him almost critically over the rim of her mug. The thought struck him that she was actually quite small, especially considering her family business. He frowned at the thought, he shouldn't be examining his host's physique, and he shouldn't be looking at her body at all. Even as these thoughts crossed his mind he couldn't help but wonder if she exercised or if her metabolism was high. Some of the female models he'd worked with would kill a man for a body like hers, and- _Stop it Adrien_.  
"Sorry." He picked up the first thing his fingers touched. A croissant dusted with icing sugar. He debated putting it back but decided against it because he didn't want to seem rude, Marinette also picked up a treat from the plate and he tore a part of it off before gingerly placing it in his mouth, willing himself not to be repulsed by what he was sure would be nothing but sugar. He wished he were Chat Noir, at least then he could pretend he didn't have to watch what he ate. The pastry melted on his tongue, warm and buttery. Exactly like the food he used to eat before he started modeling. _… It's good._ He swallowed and took a huge bite out of the pastry, barely swallowing before he took another. He felt Marinette's hand on his wrist.  
"It's not running away from you Adrien. Slow down." Her voice was low and her eyes were wide, suddenly he feared judgment from the girl sitting across from him but she said nothing else, instead she just took her hand away and focused on her own food. Adrien immediately felt guilty. Of course she wouldn't judge him, nor would she understand. This girl hadn't been exposed to the world he had. She wasn't aware of the insecurities that plagued the dressing rooms or the 'no eating 12 hours before a shoot' rule. She didn't know about the designers that cast models aside instantly for too much or too little roundness in the wrong, or even in the right places. His nights as Chat Noir burned more calories than he consumed, but he was still afraid of being cast aside. Of being a failure and of consequentially being useless to his father. Since becoming Chat Noir, he'd been able to eat a little more than he used to, but the dark voices in the back of his mind remained. This girl wouldn't, _couldn't_ know of them.  
"You know," She said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I don't think one night of indulgence will be that bad, besides, these ones are fruit tarts. Fruit is good for you right?" She grinned at him cheekily and he felt his heart stop momentarily. Maybe she did know? Maybe she saw the way he refused meals, never one for thoughtless eating. Maybe she noticed the days when he had four shoots in a row and hadn't eaten for 24 hours, making him feel faint. Maybe she knew that his diet was so rigorously controlled that once, when he'd eaten a sandwich with white bread instead of whole meal, he'd been denied dinner that day. His lips twisted into an uncharacteristic frown. Maybe just today he could… Just for today… He glanced up at Marinette, who, for once, seem unabashed when she'd been caught staring. She continued to look at him with such intensity, that he had to look away. Her eyes were the color of ice, so why where they so… so _warm?_ Her nose crinkled in thought and she pulled a strawberry off the top of the tart and offered it to him. He stared at the berry in her hand and up to her and back to the fruit again. He'd already run away, he might as well. It's not like he could get into more trouble than he was already. His eyes flickered back to the dark-haired girl, her eyes filled with a ferocity that surprised him. It was a look that was so very _Ladybug_ that he was forced to do a double take and reassure himself that she was in fact Marinette. The corner of her mouth lifted up in a silly grin and after a fraction of a second, his face mirrored hers when he reached for the rest of the tart, pastry and all.

It was late by the time her parents arrived, Sabine poked her head through the trap door to greet Adrien and check that they didn't need anything before she cast her daughter a knowing smile that left Marinette blushing and exiting the room.

"So…" Adrien started. "Uh… Do you have like a lights out? Or…"

Marinette frowned for a moment before shaking her head. "Not really, I mean as long as I'm not noisy, mum and dad don't really mind, but tonight I'll be up late." She smirked at him and stood up, crossing over to her desk.  
"Oh are you working on a design?" Adrien leaned back and rested on his hands as he watched her pull out shimmering blue fabric.  
"Hmm?" She titled her head but didn't turn around. "Well I will be, but it's Alya's birthday tomorrow." She walked back over to him, material in one hand and a small pink box in the other.  
"So…" Adrien's eyes tightened in confusion.  
"Oh! So, at midnight, I'll call her and sing 'Happy Birthday' and then hang up." She smiled brightly before ducking her head. "It's our tradition."

He laughed. "Really?"  
"Yeah." She knelt and began arranging the fabric on the floor. "We started it when we were kids. Alya and I have been friends since we were little. But Nino and I were friends first. So when Alya and I grew closer I think he felt a bit left out." She smiled at him before returning to her work. "So I'm really glad he has you. The two of you are really suited for each other I think." She sat back on her heels to examine the arrangement before adjusting a few pieces.  
"Seriously?" This was news to Adrien, he' would never have guessed the friendship between Nino and Marinette, although, it did explain why Nino seemed to give him strange looks whenever Adrien mentioned her.  
Marinette nodded without looking at him and pulled pins out of the box. "Yeah, Nino's parents and mine were family friends so he and I grew up together. When we were four his parents died so his Aunt and Uncle and their kids moved from Perpignan to take care of him. His parents left him their house so it was easier for them to move to Paris then have him move to Perpignan. They didn't want him to leave his friends behind too."  
"Aunt and Uncle?"  
Marinette glanced up with an odd expression on her face. "Alya's parents."  
"Alya and Nino live together? Wait, they're cousins?" Adrien rubbed his face with his hands. It was too much to take in at once. And how had he not heard of this before?  
"No, no. Alya lives with her older sister in an apartment. And… Well… Nino's Aunt and Uncle adopted her and her blood sisters, Catalina and Belle. His Aunt is actually infertile but she always wanted a really big family." Marinette shrugged. "So she adopted as many kids as she could and she still does foster care for kids too. That's why Alya has such a big family." She laughed. "And that's why Alya doesn't look like any of her brothers or sisters."  
Adrien let out a noisy breath. "Woah."  
"They won't mind that I'm telling you this I swear!" Marinette dropped her needle, face panicked. "They're really open about it actually, it's just that you transferred into our school after everyone else, and there was no reason to bring it up."  
"No it's just… I never knew. I mean I knew about how his Aunt and Uncle looking after him and everything, it's just the other stuff."  
Marinette studied his face for a moment before returning to her work. Adrien watched her sew for a few minutes before he spoke. "Chloe was the only friend I had for fourteen years."

Marinette's mouth quirked up into a lop-sided smile. "That must have been the worse fourteen years of your life."

Adrien tried to bite back the laughter but it spilled over and he shook his head. "She's really not-"

Marinette looked up at him sharply. "If you say she's not that bad, I swear I will stab you with this." She waved the needle in his direction threateningly. "She made Mylene cry during the movie we filmed, she got Alya suspended from school and she bullied Nath on his _birthday._ And-"

"Okay! Okay!" Adrien put his hands up, palms facing her. "Look I know she's not perfect-" Marinette snorted. "But she was the only person I was allowed to see for fifteen years, the only kid my age anyway. I grew up in an adult world so it wasn't like I had anyone else."  
Marinette tilted her head on the side, contemplating him. "Well, you have me now." She says factually. His eyes widened and he swallowed something that had risen in his throat before her words registered in her mind. "And Nino!" She tacked on hurriedly. "And Alya, and-" He reached over before she could finish her sentence and hugged her. It was awkward, his arms looped around her neck, pulling her over the top of the fabric, and her face squished against his shoulder but he found that he didn't really care. Before Marinette could combust, he withdrew and rubbed his chest wincing.  
"Sorry!" Marinette dropped the needle and leant over the fabric.  
"You stabbed me!" He exclaimed, but his tone was playful.  
"You- I- It's- You ran into it!" She exclaimed, grabbing his bicep. Her panic faded as she felt him shake with laughter. Shaking her head, she joined in, until a knock on her trap door served as a reminder to be quiet.  
"Oops." Adrien had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry Mari."  
Marinette's heart skipped a beat at her new nickname but she didn't question it. "Don't worry, the bakery isn't open tomorrow so dad doesn't have to be up early." She glanced at the clock. "Do you want to wait up with me?" He must have looked confused because she hastened to clarify herself. "To sing to Alya."  
"Can I?" He asked.  
"Of course!" Marinette returned to her dress.

Midnight came and Marinette picked up her phone. The two sat side by side and the phone rung.  
"Hellooooo?" Alya answered the phone and Marinette see the silly grin on her friend's face. "Whatever could you be-" Suddenly she squinted at the screen, giving Marinette and Adrien the opening they needed.  
"Happy Birthday to you!"

Alya suddenly found her voice. "Is Adrien with you?"

"Happy birthday to you!" Their singing was loud and terribly off key, Adrien noticed. But a glance at Marinette told him that it wasn't supposed to be good.

"At this time of night?"

Marinette sung louder. "Happy birthday dear Alya!" It was a display off affection and friendship.

"When did he get there? Is he wearing your shirt?"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Why is Adrien in your bedroom? Mari-" Marinette disconnected the call before collapsing against Adrien in a fit of giggles, their laughter melded together, harmonized unlike their singing. Her phone buzzed, announcing a text from Alya, followed by another and two more before she set it on silent.  
"I didn't think that through very well." She laughed. "I forgot."  
"Will she ask about it?"

Marinette shrugged. "She's used to me taking home strays." Her expression changed from giddy-happiness to horror in less than a second (God he loved her ever-changing expressions. Wait, wait?). "I didn't mean it like that!"  
Adrien just grinned and poked her in the side. "Minou, minou, minou." He mimicked her from earlier and her face paled.  
"Oh my god." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry."

Adrien laughed harder. "It's fine really. I could totally be a stray cat."  
"No way." Marinette looked up at him, a mischievous grin curled onto her face. "You'd totally be a domesticated kitten."  
"What?" Adrien pretended to be offended.  
Marinette flicked his nose. "I bet you'd have a bell and everything."

 **Alix, Rose and Marinette's leather jackets will be in an upcoming chapter. Tol Fruit Child and I have a nice little headcannon that I can't let go to waste :)**

 **14-Judgement.**


	14. 14-Seeking Solace

**Hello friends! TIME TO SIN!**

 **Judgement is still in the works, but I've been away so long, so here have some sin as an apology.**

 **14-Seeking Solace**

 **Adrien couldn't ask for more. But Chat could, and as he was without a lady, a princess suddenly didn't sound so bad.**

* * *

Chat swung over the next roof, landing softly on his toes. The moon was peaked in the velvet sky, worthy of a painting but his thoughts were consumed with lady he'd fallen for. The lady he couldn't have. It was inevitable really; there would be no need for Ladybug or Chat Noir when the attacks were over and as dangerous as they were, every night he prayed for more. He knew she hadn't meant to hesitate. That she hadn't meant to hurt him. But she had.

 _"Partners for life right?" He winked at her._

 _"Until this is over anyway." She replied then turned to face him, obviously stunned at the words that had left her mouth. The hurt on his face had to have been clear._

" _So, you'd just leave?"_

 _"Chat…" She reached for him but he recoiled from her touch instantly._

" _Would you?"_

 _A pause. "No." It sounded like a question._

 _His shoulders drooped and his heart sank._

"Chat…" She reached for him.

He left before she could say another word.

His feet dangled over the edge of the roof, pining for his love. A sigh from behind startled him and he turned expecting Ladybug, but saw no one. He crept to the other side of the building and upon seeing Marinette sitting on her balcony, blue eyes plaintive in the dark, he silently dropped onto the terrace without thinking, careful not to knock over the empty mug that sat by the hatch on the ground.

She didn't turn around and he hesitated. What would he say? Would she tell him to go away? But he was lonely, his heart ached for the company and her small figure silhouetted by the moon beckoned to him.

"Good evening Princess." He purred

She started in surprise but didn't turn around. "Good evening Chat Noir." He could hear something in her voice that made it sound like her words were glued to the roof of her mouth before spilling out of her lips. Like she was having trouble speaking them.

"How'd you know it was me?" He stepped closer.

She turned. "The only way for non-leather or spandex wearing super-people to get up here is there," She pointed to a hatch on the ground. "And the window." She gestured to the window on the side of the house, that he couldn't see, but knew was there. He'd been here before, not that she knew that or needed to know that. "So who else but a masked vigilante?"

She leaned back against the railing and Chat realized that her hair was out, he'd expected it to be dead straight but it hung evenly below her shoulders curling inwards at the ends. He wasn't sure why he noticed.

"I see." He put his hands awkwardly behind his back and rocked forward on his toes and then shifted his weight back to his heels.  
"Can I help you with something?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, observing him.

"Me? Uh, no." But the thought of his Lady entered his mind unbidden and the sigh escaped from his lips without his permission.

"You want to sit for a while?" She motioned towards the iron bench. A new installation on her balcony and he wondered how he knew that it was new.

"Sure." He sat and after a moment of hesitation she sat beside him. The silence was a little awkward and he felt the need to fill it. He rarely had the chance to speak to her as Adrien, because she turned tail and ran as soon as he tried. But for some reason starting a conversation with her tonight wasn't easy, his mouth was dry and his tongue felt like lead. Was this what rejection felt like?

He glanced over at his silent companion her face was pensive, clear blue eyes piercing even in the dim light. She was pretty. He knew that from the first time he had ever seen her. Cute and intelligent, but in an unassuming sort of way that startled you when it shone through and the kind humility that made you want to shake her when she hid behind it. And in the past few months he'd learnt more about her than in the three years he'd known her. She liked to design clothes, and liked to draw. She wanted to be a fashion designer; she was good at sports but horribly clumsy anywhere other than the school gym. She was a very graceful dancer. She hated the colour yellow. Her parents were bakers and she had a mild allergy to dust. And her kindness extended to everyone, even occasionally Chloe. Adrien wished he knew more about her, but her faltering words and skittishness made it difficult to hold a conversation, most of the things he knew he learnt from Nino, observed or asked Alya about. Adrien couldn't ask for more. But Chat could, and as he was without a lady, a princess suddenly didn't sound so bad.

"What's your favorite colour?" He asked before slapping himself internally. _Now she'll laugh at me and think I'm a dork.  
_

She looked at him quizzically before answering; "Pink…" Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes roamed his face. "Or maybe green."

"Green?" He caught her eyes with his.

"Green." She affirmed, before looking away a light pink dusting her cheeks.

"Are you going to ask me mine?" He asked impertinently.

She titled her face to look at him. "You'll tell me anyway."

"Blue." He answered smugly. Perhaps she knew him better than he thought.

She folded her hands neatly in her lap. _Small hands. Delicate hands. Chubby fingers. Cute hands._ "Why?"

"What?" The question caught him off guard and his brow furrowed, redirecting his gaze to her face but she wasn't looking at him. She was staring at the starless sky and he suddenly wondered, if there were no stars on a Parisian night, why could he see them reflected in her eyes?

"Why blue?" She asked again, eyes flicking over to him. _Blue_ he noticed. Bright, clear, blue eyes filled with stars. Odd, he could have sworn her eyes were gray.

"Um." _It's the colour of My Lady's eyes.  
_

The girl beside him snorted with laughter. And he

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Smooth. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were pining for unrequited love." When he didn't respond she turned her body to face him. "Wait really?"

He leant his head against the back of the chair. "Yeah."

She shook a little and he expected her to laugh at him again but she didn't. Instead she drew her knees up to her chest and sighed. "Me too."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Really?"

"Yeah." She rested her chin on her knees, eyes fixed straight ahead, frowning at something he couldn't see.

Silence followed and he didn't expect her to say anything else until; "He just doesn't know I exist."

"Ah." He looked over at her, pink lips contorted into a sorrowful smile. "Do you want to talk about it?" He was still staring at her lips as she worried at her lower lip.

"To you?" She widened her eyes at him comically. Teasing him, he realized.

He shrugged and averted his gaze. "Why not?"

Another sigh, softer this time. "It's complicated."

"I know all about complicated relationships. I won't tell anyone." A glance at her told him everything he needed to know. She was miserable. But she wasn't about to go into it with him, and why would she? She hardly knew him, not as Adrien and certainly not as Chat.

"I can't even speak to him." Her voice startled him and he jumped slightly, earning an amused glance from the otherwise despondent girl beside him.

"Why?" He tilted his head to the side and rested his elbows on the seat behind him.

"I get really nervous and my words don't come out the way I want them to." She licked her lips as if to illustrate a point, but whatever that point was, he missed it entirely, green eyes fixed on her tongue for the second that it was in sight.

He laughed dryly and shook his head as soon as his addled brain allowed. "I understand you Princess."

"Paw-lease. Aren't you the smooth talking black cat of the shadows?" She rolled her eyes at him and sat up straighter.

He stared at her in amusement. "Did you just make a pun?"

Her eyebrows knitted together before her mouth opened forming a perfect pink 'o'. _Don't look at her lips._ "It was an accident." She whispered, mortified.

"I thought it was purr-fect." He smirked and shot her a wink.

She groaned as he laughed at his own wit. "That was awful."

"Sorry." He grinned at her.

"No you're not." Her face mirrored his and for a moment broken hearts were forgotten as their companion smiled softly at them, shrouded in moonlight.

The wind picked up for a moment and she shivered as her hair whipped around her face.

"Cold?" He shifted closer involuntarily.

"If you put your arm around me I'll snap it off." She threatened, throwing a glare at him.

He raised his palms to her. "It was just a question Princess." He watched her as she fixed the strap of her pajama top, her fingers skimming the skin at her shoulders and running down her arm before returning to her lap. Her skin was fair and smooth and he wondered if it would be soft. _Stop._ He thought violently. _Ladybug…_ He looked at Marinette again. A strand of hair was out of place, begging to be shifted. He reached out without a second thought and brushed it behind her ear, thumb tracing her cheekbone.

She looked up at him in surprise, but she didn't shift away. Her skin was supple under his gloves and his fingertips tingled.

"Chat Noir?"

He was still touching her face. _What about Ladybug?_ He slipped his hand behind her ear; cupping the side of her cheek in his palm, thumb resting at the corner of her lips. _What about Ladybug?_ He felt her skin grow warm under his glove as a blush spread from her nose to her ears. _What about Ladybug?_ The hurt and anger he'd felt from before had almost vanished but not quite. Marinette's breath caught as he tentatively shifted closer. She didn't move away. _What about Ladybug?_ He could hear her heart racing as he stared her down. _What about Ladybug?_ Marinette's eyes flitted down to his lips and he swallowed as she nervously ran her tongue along her bottom lip. Gentle, sweet, Marinette. Her lips demanded to be kissed. _What about… who?_

He moved in, all traces of shyness vanished, replaced with suave confidence and he pressed his lips to hers. They were soft and she tasted sweet, like hot chocolate and marshmallows. _That would explain the mug near the hatch._ After a moment of surprise she reciprocated, moving her lips against his. Her hand found its way to his chest and she held it there, Chat was positive she would be able to feel his heart hammering against his chest, but she didn't let on if she noticed.

* * *

Marinette shifted slightly, unsure if she should pursue the conversation with her friend. He was obviously distressed and with a pang of guilt she wondered if Ladybug was the cause. She felt his gloved hand brush against her cheek as he moved her hair and she froze, eyes darting up to meet his.

"Chat Noir?" His name was little more than a breath on her lips.

His hand curled around her face, three fingers under her ear, cradling her neck, claws lightly scraping on her skin. She couldn't move. _What about Adrien?_ His eyes grew serious as they searched her face, looking for something. _What about Adrien?_ He must have found what he was looking for because he inched closer, his fingers flexed slightly, reaffirming her proximity. She should move away, she knew she should, kissing her partner as a civilian was a _very_ bad idea, but his beautiful, burning green eyes kept her there, paralyzed. _What about Adrien?_ He moved closer again, slower this time, she wondered if he was giving her the chance to move away. To stop before they started. _What about Adrien?_ Her eyes flicked down to his lips for an instant before they snapped back up to be lost in his eyes again. She wondered if he'd seen. _What about Adrien?_ He had. His breath caressed her cheek, eyes lidded. He was very close. _What about Adrien?_ She felt Chat move in. _What about… who_ She closed her eyes, and then there was Chat, lips slightly chapped but warm and insistent, pressing against hers and the rhythm felt so natural, so _safe_ that the world vanished as he kissed her. He was everywhere all at once, his scent washed over her, expensive cologne and sweat, mixed in with leather and the smell of rain in summer.

 _What about Ladybug?_

He pushed Ladybug firmly out of his mind as Marinette's hand found his cheek.

 _What about Adrien?_

Her thoughts flitted to her classmate for a second before her mind was wiped clean by the feel of Chat's lips against hers.

He wrapped his long fingers around her waist, their position was too awkward to pull her to him but he had a desperate need to be closer. His fingers brushed the exposed skin between her shirt and pajamas and in the back of his mind he made a note to take his gloves off next time. _Next time?_

His hands tangled in her hair and he could smell the bakery, melted butter and sugar mixed with something else that he knew to be Marinette. Dimly he wondered if it was her perfume or shampoo, or maybe she always smelt like that.

She was holding him together, her lips pressed firmly against his, so there was no way known he could have felt the despair that moments ago threatened to shatter him.

She nearly lost her nerve when his tongue slid across his bottom lip. Nearly. Instead she titled her head back and let him slip his tongue past her lips. She grabbed his collar, his bell chimed and he grunted softly, low in her ears. His hands found her waist again and he tugged her almost roughly onto his lap, so she was straddling him. _Better._ One of her hands timidly ran through his hair, carefully avoiding his ears. It was softer than she thought, for some reason she expected it to be spiky or stiff with gel, but it was clean and silky. Strong hands slid down her sides and gripped her hips. He felt her shift with discomfort when his claws dug into her so he changed his grip, instead flattening his palms over her the front of her stomach so he could feel the taut sinew of her through his gloves. She trailed her hands down the side of his face and cupped his cheeks in her hands, thumbs brushing over the cheekbones hidden by the mask. He was holding her together, stopping her from falling apart, his hands caressing her so gently that she knew this was how he would touch his lover.

He couldn't quite understand how he was finding his way around her so easily or how her hands seemed to already know the contours of his face like a map. He'd never kissed anyone before and in the back of his mind, his subconscious was marveling that he hadn't slobbered all over her yet. Kissing Marinette was easy, in the sense that it felt like a routine, something he did everyday, like brushing his teeth or getting dressed. Or undressed. _Adrien don't you dare think about that now._

Their combined loneliness and heartache tore at them, screaming at them to take more. They moved with an unnatural synchronization. As though this was routine. Lips became desperate and pleading. Infatuated. Intoxicated. She felt a hand at the back of her neck, tipping her head backwards and for a moment she wished she wasn't so small, his frame towered over her, even in their current position, and she felt an insatiable desire to push him down, to be bigger than him. His hands traced the curve of her neck before he curled his fingers in her hair again and she wished his hands were bare.

He could feel her pushing against him and he pulled her closer, bodies flush against one another as they fought for control. Marinette lost very quickly and contented herself by sliding her hands down his neck and shoulders to stopping on his felt his claws skim her bare stomach and hip, and she made a noise in the back of her throat that if it were any other situation, would have left her frozen in embarrassment. As it were, his hand had discovered her bare skin between her shirt and her pajama bottoms and he seemed to relish in his new discovery, she could feel his grin against her lips at her involuntary vocalization. Chat shifted nervously as he felt his suit began to become _uncomfortable_. He hoped she didn't notice, they were pressed together very intimately and one wrong move could make this situation _very_ embarrassing.

Marinette broke for air panting, Chat's lips ghosted her neck and she shivered. She felt his lips press against her skin, leaving a trail of warm kisses that made her skin tingle. His lips traced a path up her neck, across her jaw and down again and when he reached the junction of her neck and jaw for the second time he sunk his teeth into her flesh. Pain shot through her and her body jerked in surprise, but his lips returned and she felt his tongue and lips tracing over the spot in a hypnotic apology. Reason left her as she sighed his name in satisfaction, her small hands gripping his biceps tightly as he smirked against her neck, still working at her skin. One of her hands found his hair again and she gripped his hair in her fist, arching up to his lips as he continued to lavish attention on the spot on her neck. Soon Marinette felt impatient, her breath had returned and his lips were too far away from hers. Before she could reconnect their lips a truck backfired. Her spine snapped straight, eyes widening in horror. Her entire face reddened with embarrassment. The spell had broken.

"Oh." She breathed. _I kissed… Oh my god.  
_  
He stared at her, their faces a breath apart. He hesitated, unsure if he should flee or kiss her again. Her bright eyes were wide with panic, lips perfectly swollen and his hair was still tangled in her fist. _I kissed Marinette. As CHAT. … … … Will she let me do it again?_

Marinette scrambled to detangle herself from his embrace, but he was not ready to relinquish his hold on her yet. He wanted to kiss her again.

"I'm so sorry. I-"

He brushed his lips against her warm cheek impulsively. She froze. Blue met green and the night faded away into nothing behind them. She lowered her gaze to his lips again. She paused for a moment before imperceptibly shifting closer, leaning into him, their noses brushed and Marinette licked her lips, the tip of her tongue brushing against Chat's cheek, sending a thrill down his spine as the sinful part of him demanded that he find out _exactly_ what she could do with her tongue. As he moved to give in to the temptation that was Marinette, he felt Plagg nudge him in his mind, a threat to revoke the transformation. He swore internally, he absolutely could _not_ let her find out he was Adrien. Not after _that_. She was already petrified of him, he didn't want to give her another reason to be afraid.

"I… I have to go." He breathed. His breath warmed her face and something coiled in the pit of her gut, preparing to pounce.

"Uh." She said dumbly. He let go of her waist and his hands glided down her arms, taking a gentle hold of her wrists. She stood quickly and he followed, standing very, very close, and did not let go. Marinette could only stare. She had kissed _Chat_. _Chat._ And… it hadn't been bad. She'd quite enjoyed it actually. And he had kissed _her._ And his lips had been so sinfully delightful and his hands were so gentle and _why was he leaving when she wanted him to kiss her again? Didn't he have any manners._

"Did I scare you?" He asked softly. It took her a moment to regain her speech, his index finger was lazily drawing lines across her palm and she couldn't quite remember how to breathe. Plagg nudged harder, and Adrien knew he would be in trouble when he got home.

"I really have to go. I'm sorry." He kissed the inside of her wrist and leapt away, dissolving into the shadows. Marinette sunk to the ground of the terrace. The feelings for Chat that she'd been determined to squash had flared up without her consent and now she was sure she had _feelings_ for him. She winced at the word 'feelings' as though it were dirty and venomous, but then again, wasn't it? And now he had disappeared, most likely either satisfied that he'd gotten what he wanted or so ashamed that he'd kissed someone as ordinary as her that he had to leave immediately.

* * *

Plagg released the transformation before Adrien's feet touched the ground of his bedroom. As a result, instead of a smooth landing, Adrien tumbled head first onto his couch, face down. He lay there, unable to move and he groaned and massaged his face with his hand as he replayed the events that had just taken place. He'd kissed-no, _made out_ with Marinette. As _Chat Noir_. And she, he paused, a grin slipping onto his face as he remembered the way she'd breathed his name. _No! Bad Adrien!_ He lay there, unmoving as Marinette's errant hands opened the flood gates to forbidden feelings and d _esires_ he had for his classmate. Her lips molded to his, her tongue stroking his as her hands trailed up his arms, nails scratching at that _goddamned suit_. Her rapid pulse under his lips as he worked the spot on her neck, she had been breathless, because of _him_.

* * *

Mari opened her eyes the next morning; she was already dreading patrol that night. How could she face him? He wouldn't know it was her… But she would know. She would not be able to avoid the shame that came with Chat's kisses and then his flight shortly after. She would know he kissed her as a civilian and that he'd run away shortly afterwards.

She rolled over, careful to avoid crushing Tikki (who, to Marinette's surprise was utterly _delighted_ with last night's events) and saw a pink Carnation in a glass of water sitting on her bedside table. She bolted upright and snatched up the note in her mother's handwriting.

 _A blonde boy dropped this off this morning. He was very cute, but I'm very sad that you didn't tell your own mother that you have a boyfriend :(_

* * *

 **Please take my laptop away from me and seal it in the depths of hell.**

 **The symbolism of the pink carnation;  
Gratitude, affection or longing. Please send help bc holy shit.**

 **Also, you should follow me on tumblr because; sneak peeks ;)  
Lastroseofspring **

**15-Judgement**

 **(You'll have this either today or tomorrow children!)**

 **16-Excuses**


	15. 15-Judgement

**For my lovely fruit child because she helped me to create this head-cannon and I love it so much help me.**

 **This spans over about two to three years.**

 **You'll also have to forgive me, this isn't very in depth about relationships or emotions or anything even though it could be. I may expand on these later but for now, this is all, except one thing that I've referenced once before. I wonder what it is? ;)  
**

 **T for swears!**

 **14-Judgement.**

 **The first person Alix 'showed' her new stamp was Marinette, though it wasn't until a few weeks after she'd first received the stamp that it made a public appearance**

* * *

September 18th was undoubtedly the best day of Alix's life. She woke up as usual, dressed as usual, but beside her helmet was something very unusual. A stamp. She picked it up and examined it with critical eyes before tearing off paper from last night's homework and stamping it. Alix laughed devilishly when she read the words now inked on the page. A fist was in the centre of the stamp, black with green accents and pink glitter. The words; Alix's boss as fuck were etched in an arc over the top of the fist while 'stamp of approval' was printed on a downwards curve on the bottom. Alix put the lid back on the stamp and slipped it into her pocket.

* * *

The first person Alix 'showed' her new stamp was Marinette, though it wasn't until a few weeks after she'd first received the stamp that it made a public appearance. It was the day Marinette bested Chloe by being voted in as Class President. After class, Alix followed-stalked-Marinette to the lockers. Most of the class had already left for the day and so, only she, Alix and Alya remained.

"Hey Marinette!" She called, stamp unsheathed and at the ready. The second Marinette turned, Alix pounced. She swung the stamp and caught her friend in the cheek with a satisfying smacking sound. "Good for you! I'm proud of you." Alix told her friend, her face betrayed no sign of what had just occurred. Marinette lifted her hand and rubbed at the ink, most of it had already dried but the green smudged a little when she touched it, leaving green ink on her fingers.

"Alix what did you just do?" Marinette snapped, she made to rub at it again, but Alya stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"Alix's boss as fuck stamp of approval?" She read questioningly, turning to the pink-haired girl.

Alix grinned evilly. "It's already trademarked."

"What's it for?" Alya asked, phone already recording, ignoring Marinette's grumbling about how it wouldn't come off.

Alix posed dramatically. "It allows me to pass judgement on my people." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and ignored Marinette's 'you don't have any people,' and placed her hands on her hips. "Mari you should totally sew this on our jackets. Mine totally still fits."  
Marinette had abandoned the ink on her face in favour of her books. "Those jackets are sacred Alix, I'm not changing a damn thing."  
Alix pouted but popped the cap back onto her stamp and the three girls left the lockers, stepping out into the sunshine.

* * *

Exactly one week later, Ivan strolled into class after lunch with a swollen, already bruising eye and a split lip. While Rose and Mylene fussed over ice and disinfectant, the rest of the class sans Chloe and Sabrina arranged themselves around Ivan's desk, firing questions after question. He looked uncomfortable with the attention ignoring most questions and mumbling half-sentences to answer the rest. By the time Madam entered the classroom to start the lesson; the most they had gotten out of him was that he'd been involved in some kind of fight and that the other guy looked worse. What he neglected to mention, but what Nathanael and Alix had seen was that Ivan had stumbled across a group of high-schoolers bullying an elementary student with glasses and a limp, and that those high-school students hadn't taken kindly to being told to 'fuck off.' As they all shuffled back to their seats, Alix whipped out her stamp and made a stabbing motion at Ivan's forearm. A black and green glittering mess appeared on the upside of his arm and as she made her way back to her seat, he smiled.

* * *

Mylene was the third recipient of the infamous stamp. At the beginning of the new school year, Chloe had lured in an unwitting underclassman for her inner circle and unfortunately for the dark-haired girl, she'd gotten the order wrong for Chloe's morning juice.

"Potato? Potato? You're a fucking potato you stupid girl. How dare you give me this slop?" She screamed at the quivering girl before throwing the drink onto the ground. It exploded, its contents spilling onto the younger girl's shoes. To her credit, the girl didn't flinch, but she was shaking like a leaf. Mylene, Ivan, Alix and Marinette hovered by the door, watching the scene unfold in the courtyard, unsure if they should interfere, knowing that to do so would only invoke Chloe's wrath on the girl again at a later date. Marinette and Alix shared glances while Mylene shook beside them, Ivan's hand resting on her shoulder.

"She has no right to bully her like that." Mylene hissed, hands curling into fists.  
The underclassman resembled Marinette in the fact that she was half Chinese, a fact Chloe relished in. It was like she was bullying her classmate and she didn't have to fear the backlash from the younger girl. Chloe continued her tirade as Marinette and Alix debated if they should step in or go find Adrien to soothe the angry beast. Ivan's hand on her shoulder kept Mylene at bay, by having been on the receiving end of Chloe's abuse, each insult to the tiny girl sent her closer and closer to releasing the personified horrification, Mylene was preparing to pounce.

"You… You!" Chloe searched for the right word. "You half-breed." She sneered, lip curling cruelly in satisfaction as the younger girl sunk into her collar, touching at her eyes that betrayed her genetics.

Mylene let out a wholly undignified squeak of indignation as she spared a glance at the half-Chinese girl beside her (who had, thankfully been deep in conversation with Alix at the time and hadn't heard) before her body quivered in anger. She felt a weight slip off her shoulder and she turned to see Ivan holding her bag, face impassive.

"Kick her ass baby; I'll hold your bag." The corner of his mouth lifted into a grin.

Without further ado Mylene tightened her fists and stormed over to her vicious classmate with such ferocity that Alix and Marinette paused their conversation to watch.

"Shit." Alix whispered, grabbing Marinette's arm.

Mylene grabbed the younger girl's hand and straightened her dress, her back to Chloe, effectively blocking the younger girl from Chloe's line of sight.

"Excuse you." Chloe stamped her foot and shoved Mylene's shoulder. "I was talking to her."

"Oh, shut up Chloe." Mylene snapped harshly. The unexpected bite in her words sent Chloe reeling backwards.

"How dare you?" She hissed once she'd recovered. "Do you _know_ who you are-"

Mylene rounded on Chloe with fire in her eyes. "Yes I know who I'm talking to. You remind us every ten seconds how could we forget?" It was like something in Mylene had snapped and she was wielding red-hot anger like an artillery and Chloe was in the firing line. Hellfire was about to descend on Chloe Bourgeois and there was nothing she could do about it. "You need to stop acting like such a goddamned princess." Mylene advanced on Chloe, the blonde stepping back and casting a glance around for help. When none was forthcoming she was forced to look back at the tiny ball of anger in front of her. "We're all sick of it and you're definitely nothing like a princess. You're just sad and rude and selfish and mean. Grow up."

Ivan's expression was nothing short of smug pride as Mylene stomped her way back up to the group, the underclassman in tow. He offered his girlfriend her bag with a grunt that neither Marinette nor Alix could identify.

"Love you too." Mylene said tiredly as she allowed her boyfriend to steer her back inside. Alix wordlessly stamped Mylene's behind causing Mylene to jump and wipe her fingers across the back of her jeans, fingers now smudged with black ink and pink glitter.

* * *

Nino received his two days later. Alix sat on the edge of Marinette's desk, watching in amusement as Nino seethed, not even bothering to conceal his rage. His hands clenched the edge of the desk with white knuckles.

"How dare he?" He hissed through clenched teeth. "That old bastard." Adrien placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Really Nino, it's fi-" He jerked his hand back as the DJ turned to face him.

"Don't say it's okay Adrien, you know it's not." Nino grabbed the model by his shoulders and shook him. "He promised you could go but what do you know, he's booked you for another photo shoot. I know your old man doesn't like me, but it's Marinette's birthday man. I thought he liked Marinette."

Adrien looked uncomfortable. "He does. Like her I mean. But he..."

Nino took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt before replacing them. "It's because I organised it isn't it?"

Adrien looked stricken. "No it's not like that!"

Nino shook his head. Adrien's phone rang and he scrambled to answer it. "It's Nathalie." He said. "Hand on a sec." He swiped to answer the phone but before he could answer, Nino had snatched the phone out of his hand. Adrien lunged for it but Nino motioned for Kim and Alix to hold him back which they did with pleasure. Nino pressed the speakerphone button and sucked in a breath, a positively _evil_ smirk crossing his face.

"Listen here you old hag." He snapped into the phone. "Adrien is fifteen. Fifteen! I don't know what the fuck you were doing at fifteen but I can guess you weren't going to school _and_ managing a modelling career _and_ dealing with an abusive asshole of a dad who won't let you see your friends. Now I don't care that he'd rich and famous and all that jazzy shit. What you're doing to this kid is totally unfair. He aces all his classes, he does fencing, he does piano, he volunteers at a fucking cat shelter for fucks sake!"

Alix lets out a bark of laughter and Adrien pales. "No one was supposed to know about that."

"He'd a model son, no pun intended, and you should be lucky to be managing him and he really wanted to go to his friend's birthday party because he really likes her and we have been waiting since the _day he transferred here_ for them to hook up so don't tell him no you stupid old witch." He finished his rant and his breathing was heavy. There was nothing but silence on the other end. "Hello?" He asked, "Are you there?"

"Who is this?" Asked a deep masculine voice asked through the phone.

"Who is this?" Nino snapped.

"The abusive asshole of a dad apparently." Gabriel's voice crackled through the speaker. "I would like to speak to my son."

All the blood drained from Nino's face vanished as Kim and Alix released the blonde who immediately launched towards his phone.

"Father." He said breathlessly. "I- No. No. Does it matter? Yes. Nino. Yes. No father. Saturday. Yeah. Sorry, yes. Yes. Marinette, that's right. The bowler hat, yes. That's right. Yes she is." Slowly his face regained some colour as he spoke into the phone. Marinette and Alya walked into the room, unaware of the bomb that Nino had lit. "Really?" Adrien grinned broadly and thumped Nino on the back so hard that he rocketed forwards and slammed into the desk. Adrien winced and mouthed an apology before returning his attention to his father's voice. "No I understand. Yes. Yes thank you father. Thank you. Yes of course. Thank you." Adrien ended the call and put his phone face down on the desk,

"I'm so sorry man I didn't mean-" Adrien stopped his friend's words by putting his hand over the DJ's face.

"He's letting me go." He whispered. "He's letting me go!" He yelled, shaking his friend by the shoulders. "You are amazing Nino!" He laughed, thumping his friend on the back again. Alix slipped around to the front of their shared desk, lifted up Nino's cap and stamped his forehead before readjusting his cap and returning to her perch on Marinette's desk.

"That was fucking hilarious." She grinned.

* * *

One of the bravest things Kim ever did was ask someone on a date. And no, it wasn't because he thought he'd be rejected or humiliated, it was because asking this person on a date was announcing something very private to the school. That he liked boys as well as girls. And even though his crush was open about their sexuality, Kim was yet to admit anything. He had decided to do it after school. They regularly hung out anyway so it wouldn't seem entirely out of the ordinary. But he was anxious.

"Kim?" Max pushed his glasses up his nose. "You have been staring at me for 30.245 seconds."

Kim shook his head. "Sorry Max. I was thinking." He grabbed his drink and poked at the ice viciously. They had been there for an hour and he'd yet to even broach the subject of his sexuality let alone ask his long-time friend on a date.

"About?" Max hedged, picking a few fries of his plate and shoving them in his mouth without ceremony.

"Stuff."

Max rolled his eyes. "What kind of stuff Kim?" He sounded amused, like he knew something Kim didn't.

"Uh..." For once Kim didn't have a snarky comeback.

Max wiped his glasses on his shirt. "If you are going to ask me on a date Kim, you should do it now because I have a rematch with Marinette planned for this afternoon in the library remember?" His voice was neutral as he squinted at his glasses before wiping them again, unsatisfied with their cleanliness.

Kim choked on his drink. "What-How-Who-"

Max replaced his glasses. "Kim we have been friends for exactly twelve years, eight months and fifteen days. I know you." He smirked. "So ask me so I can say yes and then you don't have to be embarrassed anymore."

"Want to go to a movie on Saturday?" Kim yelled, drawing attention from surrounding diners, including a pink-haired skater girl and her tomato in the next booth. Nathanael's eyes widened at the sound of Kim's voice and Alix giggled into their milkshake.

"Alix." He hissed, snatching the drink away. "Don't backwash." He chastised her. "I have to drink this too you know."

Alix just rolled her eyes and pulled her straw towards her. "I've been waiting for the meat head to make a move on Max for years. Do you know how frustrating it is? And then there was that phase with Chloe..." She shuddered. "This is a good thing."

"You should stamp him." He suggested.

"No way, that was totally lame." Alix shook her head and leaned back, pushing against the table with her palms.

"He tried." Nathanel pressed.

"I don't have a 'you tried' stamp." Alix argued. But nevertheless she reached behind her, stretched her arm over the back of her chair and stamped the first part of Kim she could reach.

Max smirked and poked the blonde poof on his friend's head with was now stained with green and black. "Dashing."

Kim contorted his body around the side of the seat that connected his booth to the one Alix and Nathanel shared. "God damn it Alix."

* * *

Unfortunately for Kim, his long awaited date didn't come at the end of an uneventful week. By Friday most of his class had heard of their date and while those who didn't approve of their tentative relationship-which was in fact only Chloe and her only objection was that Kim shouldn't have moved on from her so fast-kept it relatively to herself, the same could not be said for his teammates. The end of Friday lunchtime showed Kim a bloody nose and a fat lip.

"Woah dude." Nino whistled as Kim explain how he'd been kicked off the track team which was accompanied by slurs and two well-places punches.

"That's so not okay." Rose said as she handed him more tissues. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Want me and Mari to go all Hummingbird and Black Panther on them?" Alix said, patting his head.

He pushed her hand away laughing nasally. "Don't worry about it. It's not that bad."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "It's really bad Kim shut up. Seriously, Rose and Alix and I can go..." Her voice lowered ominously. "You know. If you want."

Kim laughed again before wincing as Rose applied too much pressure to his nose. "You guys disbanded like a year and a half ago."

Rose smiled. "Mari's been adjusting the jackets. They still fit."

No one noticed Max silently slip out of the room.

Alya and Alix walked slowly to the library to collect the class dictionary sets having no desire to return to class quickly. Alix slowed as she heard the unmistakable sound of knuckles on flesh. The two girls shared a glance before running around the corner to see Max, glasses askew, sweat beaded on his brow and shirt untucked, holding one of Kim's track-mates by the shirt, nose to nose. Alya pulled her phone out of her pocket and began recording immediately.

"Don't," Max shook the senior's shirt. "Touch," One of his hands retracted and curled into a fist. "My _boyfriend."_ He swung his fist into the other boy's nose.

"Oh fuck." Alix whispered. "You're getting this right?"

"Shh. You're ruining the audio." Alya waved a hand at Alix to silence her. The senior was clutching his bloody nose, holding himself off the ground with a shaky elbow.

Max stepped over the senior, readjusted his glasses and, after sparing the boy a disgusted glance, left without another word. He paused as he passed Alya and Alix, her stamp in hand and held out the back of his hand for her to stamp. She did so, still in shock and as he walked past he heard her cuss. Alya was tapping on her phone rapidly.

"You're going to send that to me right?" Alix demanded just before her phone beeped. An email from Alya with an attached file, only thirteen seconds in length, however when Alix opened the video, there was Max beating up the senior to the opening of "London Bridge" by Ferige. Alya also received her stamp that day

* * *

Rose's stamp was earned for reasons unexplained. However if you were to ask Marinette and Alix, they would inform you that it was due to the momentary return of the White Rabbit, an explanation that made everyone bar Adrien shiver in fear. When he asked about it, Nino simply shook his head.

"You're better off not knowing man."

* * *

A gold crucifix glared at Juleka and Rose from the wall, their hands clasped together tightly as they sat side by side on the couch. The dark-haired girl wrenched her gaze from it and tried to look somewhere else that wasn't her parents or a reminder of why she was so nervous.

Juleka's mother, a middle-aged woman with pristine nails and blonde hair that was never out of its tight bun during the day, blinked rapidly at her daughter. Her father's brow furrowed as he straightened his suit.

"Can you say that again honey?" Her mother asked quietly. She clasped her hands together in her lap and began twisting them in her white dress.

Juleka glanced over at the blonde girl beside her. Rose offered a smile, squeezing her hand tightly. Juleka took a deep breath. "I'm gay. I like girls." She paused. "More… More specifically… I like this girl." She saw her father's eyes zero in on their hands. "Rose is my… my girlfriend."

Her mother let out a breath. "Ah." She looked up at her husband whose eyes were still fixed on her and her girlfriend's hand. Juleka hoped Rose didn't care that she was sweating. Ah, what was she thinking, of course she didn't mind.

"Is that all?" Her father said suddenly. The goth jumped, her eyes flitting to her father's face. "My word Julie, by the way you walked in and announced that you needed to talk, I thought you'd killed a man." Juleka sank back into the couch with relief as she started to breathe again. Beside her Rose squeezed her hand.

"Sweetheart, we love you no matter what okay?" Her mother's amber eyes were honest and loving. Juleka felt the burden of her secret lift immediately as her shoulders slumped and her heart returned to its proper place in the cavity in her chest.

"We should have a code word." Her father said suddenly, all three women looked at him in confusion as he stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "You know. In case you have killed a man." Genevieve groaned but both Juleka and Rose giggled. They both felt giddy with relief. "Something inconspicuous. Like papaya! If you say that we'll know to set up the basement for our fugitive daughter. Or any of your friends. We'll harbour your criminal friends in our basement."

"George no." Genevieve rubbed her forehead with her hand.

Juleka's father grinned. "George yes." He clasped his hands together. "Would you like some tea Rose?"

Both girls received texts halfway through tea and macaroons.

 **Alix:**  
-How'd it go? DX-

 **Juleka:**  
-They took it really well an offered to set up the basement in case our friends killed someone. Dad gave us a code word and everything-

 **Alix:**  
-Good to know :3-

 **Juleka:**  
-Alix no-

 **Alix:**  
-Alix yes :3-

 **Juleka:**  
-… You'd get along really well with my dad-

 **Alix:**  
-Of course, everyone loves me. That aside, us girls are all at the park outside your house. We wanted to be here if things went wrong. We're all really proud of you Julez. Attached; Alix's boss af. jpg -

* * *

Nathanel meandered up the stairs, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. It was his first day back after the holidays-having been an Art Exhibition in London for the past three months-and for some reason unknown to him, he felt nervous. Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't cut his hair in months and so he'd been forced to tie it up in a ponytail to stop it falling in his eyes, his bangs pinned back with crisscrossed bobby-pins. Or maybe it was that he'd changed his style, opting for a white button down instead of his usual tee. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn't seen Alix in over three months, no that wasn't it… Was it? He opened his locker and fumbled with his books for a moment before unbuttoning the buttons at his sleeve and rolling them up to his elbows. He closed his locker and turned to see Alix beside him, eyes wide, mouth open. He flushed.

"H-hey." He greeted her.

"You got _hot._ " She hissed accusingly. "When did that happen?" She pulled something out of her pocket and he flinched when he realised what it was.

"Alix no." She ignored him and launched herself at her friend, stamping him everywhere she could reach, mumbling curse words and something about good looks. "I can't believe you still have that." He continued, grabbing her wrists and pushing them towards her. "It's good to see you too." He grinned lopsidedly and Alix-for lack of a better word-whimpered as her mouth dropped open. He released her and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he looked down at her. _Down._ His good-natured smile turned into a smirk as he poked her. "I'm taller than you now."

"That's so unfair." She complained.

"Life's not fair."

* * *

Sabrina was tired. She'd had enough of Chloe and she'd had enough of being miserable. But she was weak and lonely and Chloe provided someone to hide behind and someone to just _be_ there, even if she was just a doormat. But today it was too much, today was a mess and so was she. She raised her head from her hands and glared at Chloe through her fingertips, trying to drown out her high-pitched whining. _Breathe Sabrina. Count to one hundred. One. Two. Three. Fo-_ Chloe's whines about her parents broke through the red-head's reverie. _Breathe._ Now she was complaining that the shipping company had taken a day too long to deliver her shoes. Sabrina gritted her teeth _.  
_ "Oh my god, shut _up_." She said. Chloe stopped talking and so did the rest of the class.

"Excuse me?" Chloe snapped. "What did you just say?"

Sabrina fought the urge to shrink back into her seat. "I said shut up Chloe. I don't care about your shoes. I haven't had new shoes in the past year even though they're two sizes too small because my dad can't afford new ones so shut up about your fucking shoes, not everyone is a lucky as you to be able to afford whatever they want. I've been eating bread for a week you stupid, stuffy, rich girl."

Chloe huffed and spluttered in confusion at her underling's defiance before settling for a simple death stare as the teacher walked in.

Two weeks later, the girls from Collège Françoise Dupont snuck up to Sabrina's front door, boxes in hand, rang the door-bell and dove under the bush before the door opened.

The next day Sabrina had on a new pair of shoes with black and green smudges on the soles.

* * *

Adrien wasn't quite sure why Alix had gifted him with a stamp on Monday afternoon. As far as he was concerned he hadn't done anything 'boss as fuck' to earn it and he definitely wasn't sure why she'd taken a sharpie and scrawled the word 'finally' underneath it. More than anything it had been annoying to wash off that afternoon before his photoshoot. Sharpie and cheekbones didn't mix according to his photographer. He didn't think about it until the following evening when he picked up Marinette from her house to take her on their first official date. As she slid into the limo beside him, a beautiful pink blush dusting her cheeks, his thoughts flitted to the previous Monday for a moment before dismissing it and complimenting his new girlfriend on her dress with a cheeky 'my lady' tacked on the end.

Chloe sniffed as though Marinette smelt unpleasant. She stood in front of the class's favourite couple, her arms folded over her chest defensively, wrinkling her graduation gown.

"So." She said. Her voice was strained as though speaking was a problem and she shifted her weight from foot to foot, her eyes darting around the room in discomfort. "You're dating Adrien."

"Have been for the past six months." Marinette confirmed, but there was less bite in her words than usual.

"Yeah so…" The blonde swallowed. "You like him a lot right?"

Marinette glanced at Adrien in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah I do." Marinette replied finally.

"Well, he's… he's my oldest friend. So you'd better treat him right." Her words were almost venomous, but behind them Marinette could hear sincerity and affection. She squeezed her boyfriend's hand.

"Of course." She smiled up at the blonde whose nose crinkled with her next words.

"And I'm really happy for you. If he doesn't treat you right I'll sort him out for you." She finished her proclamation in one breath and then huffed as though it had been painful to speak. She didn't see Alix walk up behind her but she did feel the stamp as Alix pushed it into her shoulder, staining her white gown. Chloe let out an undignified sound before snorting with laughter. "Finally!" She laughed.

September 18th was the best day of Ellie's life. It was the day his mother passed on her most treasured possession. A stamp.

* * *

 **A real boyfriend knows when to hold you back and when to let you rip into a bitch. Both Ivan, Nino and Chat are a real boyfriends. Alya is also a real friend. Alix just lets you rip into anyone whenever you want.**

 **Which one was your favourite and why? Who would you like to see more of?**

 **16-Excuses (Finally some Mama and Papa bread!)**


	16. 16-Excuses

**This is so short wtf? Oh well soon you shall have gang girls kicking butt and shit so have this for menow ^-^**

 **16-Excuses**

 **The first few times Marinette had new bruises, they were almost easy to explain away, but once the injuries started becoming more serious, more difficult to hide, the fake excuses were hard to ignore.**

* * *

Sabine sat in the dark of her kitchen, her feet not touching the floor as she tightened her death grip on the flower-patterned mug. The tea had turned cold long ago, but she'd barely noticed, her ankles locked together tightly, back rigid in her seat as she worried at her bottom lip. She stole another glance at the clock. 3:03. Sabine lifted the mug to her lips and sipped the cold tea, eyebrows furrowing together before a creak from the floorboards behind her made her turn.

"Sabine love, come to bed." Tom said blearily, rubbing his eye. He wandered over and pried the mug from her hands and tipped it into the sink.

"She's late." Sabine whispered. "She's late."

Tom glanced at the clock and shook his head. "Three minutes behind schedule love. Considering her track record of being late, I'd say she's doing quite well. There's nothing you can-"

Sabine lurched out of her seat as a soft thump from upstairs alerted her to her daughters return. "She's back." She breathed, head whipping around to face her husband before turning back to the trapdoor above. "She's okay."

Tom placed the mug on the rack and put his shoulder around his wife. "She's been doing this for year's honey. She knows what she's doing. And she has Adrien."

"But why won't she _tell_ me?" Sabine's eyes glazed over with exhaustion. They'd been having this conversation for months. Their daughter was Ladybug, and her best friend-Adrien-was Chat Noir. And Marinette wasn't aware that either of her parents knew her secret. But how could they not? Sabine wasn't anybody's fool and her unparalleled motherly senses allowed her to _know_ things. The first few times Marinette had new bruises, they were almost easy to explain away, but once the injuries started becoming more serious, more difficult to hide, the fake excuses were hard to ignore. Sabine wasn't stupid and the lies were transparent, Marinette wasn't a good liar anyway-a trait she'd inherited from her both her parents-but Sabine wondered if there wasn't another reason behind the spandex-adventures. Sabine swiped a white bag off the counter and crept up the stairs and pressed her ear to the hatch.

"She's talking to someone." She hissed at her husband.

Tom smiled indulgently at the tiny woman at the top of the stairs and then shook his head. "Adri-I mean Chat is probably up there with her again, or her red fairy thing. It's nothing to worry about I'm sure."

"Tom." Sabine moaned, her frown deepening. Marinette's room was silent.

"Don't you go up there Sabine." Tom warned her. "She'll panic."

"But-"

"No buts, she'll tell us when she's ready. Besides, we don't know that Adrien stays over every other night remember? We know nothing about that."

Sabine scowled at her husband and pushed the hatch open.

"Sabine!" Tom hissed quietly, she ignored him and hoisted her body up through the hatch.

She walked over to Marinette's bed, bare feet silent on the linoleum as she carefully avoided the paper and fabric strewn around the room.

 _Why_ hadn't Marinette told her she was Ladybug? It would have made it easier on their whole family. _Why_ hadn't she told her that Adrien was Chat Noir? They would be able to put a pull-out couch in her room for him to sleep on for the nights he was too tired or too lonely to return home. They could even keep a toothbrush in the bathroom for him. _Why_ did it have to be _her_ daughter? Her only child, her baby girl, was risking her life every day for the people of Paris, a burden she shared with no-one but her best friend. _Why_ was Marinette keeping such big secrets from her own mother? _Why_ she didn't need her mother anymore? _Why, why, why, why?_ It twisted in Sabine's gut. The maternal motherly feeling she'd first experienced when she felt Marinette stir in her belly was roaring at her to protect her daughter as only a mother could. To take away her earrings and her Kwami, to move her to the lower bedroom so Chat Noir/Adrien couldn't sneak in and steal her away, to stop her daughter from risking her life, from putting herself in dangerous situations as she fought for her city, with Sabine only able to watch from the sidelines.

Sabine reached the top of the ladder that lead to the bed and she felt her worry slip away at the sight of her daughter safe, Adrien curled up beside her, her forehead pressed to his chest, his arms locked around her in a protective embrace while her leg was casually slung over his. Sabine let out a loud breath, these two children- _her_ children-held the weight of Paris on their shoulders and _they didn't even trust her enough to tell her that they were superheroes._ But then again there was _that_...  
She climbed down the stairs and opened the white bag, shuffling the contents she squinted in the dark. Tikki slowly emerged from Marinette's bag.

"Hello Sabine." She chirped, floating over to her. "It's been a long time."

Sabine sighed as she offered a cookie to the Kwami who took it gratefully. "I can't believe you chose my daughter. Out of all the people in Paris you could have chosen, you came to her. How dare you." The last words were intended to have more bite, but the malice simply wasn't there. In its place was weariness, the sort of tiredness a solider would have after returning home from years of fighting in a war he lost.

Tikki swallowed her mouthful before grinning cheekily at the woman in front of her. "I couldn't help it. Being a good superhero runs in the Cheng family apparently."

"Oh hush." Sabine shushed the Kwami who was now munching through a second cookie. She cast a quick glance at the hatch. "Tom…"

" _Still_ doesn't know that you were a Ladybug?" Tikki finished Sabine's sentence for her before snorting derisively. "You're such a hypocrite. You're worried because Marinette hasn't told you about her or Adrien, who actually only revealed their identities a month ago, yet, when you were Ladybug, you told exactly _zero_ people about your identity."

"Is there any cheese?" A voice interrupted from Marinette's bag.

"There is cheese _bread_." Tikki reported, causing the black Kwami to zip out of his hiding place and dive into the paper bag.

"It's _dangerous_ Tikki." Sabine insisted, ignoring Plagg. "My Chat Noir-"

"Died." Plagg said flatly, emerging from the white bag with a cheesy roll. "We're well aware of that Sabine. But with all due respect, which is _none_ , she was a fucking moron."

" _Plagg_!" Tikki gasped horrified. "Don't speak of the dead that way."

"I don't know what she expected! You use cataclysm on yourself, you're gonna have a bad time. Literally! It was self-inflicted. I was against her being Chat from the start." Plagg crammed the whole cheese roll into his mouth, chewing furiously.

"That aside… Marinette is a very good Ladybug." Tikki turned to Sabine after sparing her fellow Kwami a disgusted look. "She's very brave and strong and she's very, very clever. You should know this, she's your daughter after all."

"And my Chat would sooner die than let anything happen to her so your daughter is fine." Plagg added.

"Adrien is as good as my son, don't you _dare_ pretend like he's less important you stupid cat." Sabine snapped. She regarded him with distaste as he dropped crumbs on the floor. "I never did like you and your lousy attitude towards your charges."

"You're the one who quit because of an 'injury.' I never could recall what it was Sabine, do tell what was so important that you blatantly disregarded your duty to your city and by extension, my Chat Noir." Plagg sneered through a mouthful of bread.

"Plagg!" Tikki huffed. "Don't speak to Sabine like that."

Sabine opened her mouth to argue with him but was stopped by the sound of movement from the bed. She felt the blood drain from her face and she ducked under the table to avoid being seen if they sat up.

"Mari?" Adrien sounded groggy and half-asleep and her heart went out to him. His life wasn't what it should be for his age, having been forced to grow up too quickly by his demanding father and his dedication to the city and her daughter. "Where'd you go?" Sabine imagined his arms sliding across the sheets, fingers flexing as they tried to make purchase on Marinette. Sabine had seen him do it in his sleep once before, she must have rolled away from him in sleep and now he was looking for her.

"Here chaton." She heard her daughter reply, voice thick with sleep and exhaustion. Sabine felt the guilt roll over her in a wave. She'd never told _her_ mother that she had been Ladybug, even though she was a superhero for a significantly less amount of time than her daughter or her grandmother. Tikki was right, she was being hypocritical, it was dangerous for Marinette to tell anyone of her identity, it would put people in danger, it was basically dressing them up as bait with flashing neon signs saying 'leverage against Ladybug, get them while they're hot.'

The attacks had been more frequent as of late, of course her daughter was suffering, that was why she hadn't pressed Marinette about her declining grades but she could still be doing more to help her daughter, even if Marinette had no idea that both her parents were aware of her alter-ego. They could invite Adrien over more, let Marinette sleep in and give her less work at the bakery, ensure there was always cookies and cheese in the kitchen, enough so Marinette could take some and Sabine could pretend not to notice, covering for Marinette at school as to her absences when there was an Akuma attack and pretending to believe the excuses.

There was shuffling and then silence. After a few moments, Sabine crept out of her hiding place and snuck back up the ladder. Adrien's back was pressed to Marinette's front, his head tucked under her chin as they struggled to share a pillow. Her leg slung over his hip and their arms linked at Adrien's chest. Sabine stifled a giggle at the sight of her daughter spooning her-by comparison-much larger friend. They'd kicked the blanket to the bottom of the bed even though it was freezing, and they were both still fully dressed. Sighing, Sabine reached over to slip off her daughters shoes and unpick the laces on Adrien's converses before shimming them off his feet. Sabine dropped the shoes on the floor with a soft thud and pulled the blankets over the sleeping superheroes. She brushed Adrien's hair back from his face and pressed a kiss to his temple before kissing Marinette on the cheek.

"Maman?" Marinette's eye opened wearily but Sabine had already descended back into the living room.

* * *

 **Ah Mama-Sabine is the true bae of the series let's be real here.  
Don't forget to leave a review because I am a sad potato that requires constant validation \ ^0^ /**

17-Vengence


	17. 17-Vengeance

**WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY THAT IS MORE THAN 9K?**

 **This is for my lovely fruit child who loved this head-cannon so much that I wrote it as a chapter!**

 **This took an angsty turn and I swear to god I didn't mean it to? I'm just letting Marinette do her own thing and writing it out for you I swear I had 0 hand in the angsty back-story.**

 **Also much thank you to Alyse because she helped me out with deciding to keep the angst... Maybe you won't thank her as I rip out your heart but hey, more fun for me :)**

 **Mentions of blood in the introductory paragraph and a bit further on**

 **17-** **Vengeance**

 **Kim's grin grew Cheshire-Cat like and Marinette had the feeling that something very bad was about to happen. Maybe she should have found out what he wanted _before_ making the bet.**

* * *

 _Marinette was out for blood. The pavement was splattered with it but she couldn't be sure if it was hers or her victims. Behind her Alix laughed as the adult male cowered in front of the dark-haired girl. He clutched his broken, bloody nose, hunched over to protect his torso and stomach from another attack._

 _"Not so tough now are you big guy?" Alix jeered from Marinette's right. He flinched at the sound of her voice, but his eyes never wavered from Marinette._

 _Marinette lifted a foot lazily and kicked his ribs with surprising force for such little effort. The man stumbled back and fell, landing on his side, his hands immediately raised to protect his head; leaving Marinette with the perfect opportunity to finish what she'd started._

 _"Did it feel good?" She asked quietly. "What you did to that girl? Did it make you feel like a man?" She drew back her foot and kicked his stomach. He moaned in pain and pressed his hand to his stomach, shifting the other the cover his face in case she decided to aim there next. "Was it worth it?" She repeated, crouching beside him and grabbing his collar, her knuckles red and raw. He whimpered, unable to muster the strength to cover his face as her icy eyes bore holes into his brain, and Alix sneered in disgust at his gutlessness. Marinette shook him slightly, blue eyes narrow and blank. "I asked you a question. Was. It. Worth. It?" She hissed, punctuating each word with a shake. Her words were quiet and strangely empty, like she was detached from them. It was almost funny how often this happened, not the beating up adults part, but the whole; bully-is-actually-a-giant-coward-that-won't-even-stand-up-to-three-four-foot-fourteen-year-old-girls part._

 _"N-N-No." He moaned. His face was covered in his own blood, nose broken in two places, eye already swollen._

 _"I didn't think so." Marinette's usual venom was back as she shifted her grip so one hand was clenched at the top of his throat, pressing down on his windpipe, not enough to stop him breathing, but enough to scare him. "Don't you ever touch another person like that again do you hear me? Because we will find you. And next time..." She jerked her head back and the man's eyes darted to the two girls behind her. Alix grinned savagely from the right, while Rose flanked Marinette's left, her sweet smile permanently fixed on her face as though she were watching her favourite television program instead of a fourteen year old girl beat a grown man into submission. Marinette pressed down on his throat, effectively cutting off his oxygen supply. His eyes bulged in fear instantly, but he wasn't brave enough to try and move her hand away. "We won't be so nice." She finished before she threw him to the ground and stood, brushing at her jeans. He curled in on himself, hands protecting his head, knees tucked to his chest in case she decided to kick him again. But Marinette wasn't in the mood._

 _"Pathetic. Let's go." She turned up the collar on her jacket and walked out of the alley, shoving her hands in her pockets to hide her knuckles from passersby. Rose looped their arms and skipped happily beside her while Alix grabbed the back of Marinette's jacket and let herself be pulled along on her skates._

 _"Can we go have some cookies? That was hard work." Alix complained. "Plus I don't think you did enough Mar, he's a seriously fucked up dude. You heard what he did to that kid's younger sister."_

 _"I hate doing that to people. Lucky most of our work isn't that rough." Marinette replied. "But cookies sound good."_

 _"We're lucky your mum taught us martial arts!" Rose said breathily._

 _Marinette snorted. "We're lucky my mum lets us be in a 'gang' at all."_

* * *

Max pushed his glasses up his nose and watched the two arguing boys without much interest. They'd been having the same argument for weeks. Kim thought Chat Noir was weak and Adrien swore he was stronger than anyone else. Kim thought Chat Noir was an idiot and Adrien thought he was intelligent. Today's argument was about Chat Noir's choice of costume.

"I'm telling you, Chat Noir is unfashionable!" Kim slammed his hand on the table. "He wears skin tight leather for crying out loud! And he has a belt for a tail. Ask Marinette, she'll tell you, Chat Noir is a walking fashion _disaster_!"

"I think the leather looks good." Adrien snipped before realizing his mistake. A cruel grin curled onto Kim's face.

"Dude." He smirked.

"No." Adrien shook his head violently. "Whatever you're thinking isn't true."

"You have a leather fetish!" Kim crowed gleefully, ignoring Adrien's spluttering. "Oh man I gotta tell Nino!" His laughter grew louder and he thumped his fist onto the table.

"Tell Nino what?" Nino rounded the corner, interest piqued.

"Your boy," Kim pointed a finger at Adrien dramatically. "Has a _leather_ fetish!" He choked out before succumbing to the laughter once again.

"I do not have a leather fetish!" Adrien protested

"Remember when Marinette used to wear leather?" Nino asked grinning.

Kim sobered up immediately, his gleeful grin turning into something more sinister, hinting at a plot brewing behind his burning eyes. "Why yes, yes I do. Adrien," He turned to the blond boy. "You never had the pleasure of seeing our little Marinette like that, did you?"

"What?"

Kim rubbed his hands together and slung his arm around Max's shoulders. "Max, help me devise a plan, we've got to fix that injustice immediately."

* * *

Kim stood in front of Marinette with his arms folded. "I'm telling you I'm stronger and faster than you."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The rest of the class sans Adrien, who was watching with keen interest, ignored their argument; Nino chatting with Alya while Rose and Juleka swapped lunch, Max calculating Alix's personal bests and Mylene and Ivan were making disgusting googly eyes at each other in the corner.

Kim rolled his eyes. "Yes really. I'll even bet you!" He slammed his elbow onto the table. "I'll arm wrestle you. If you win, I'll buy you lunch for a month!"

Marinette folded her arms. "Both Alya and myself." She said, catching Alya's attention. Alya turned in her seat to watch the argument unfold.

"Done." He offered a hand to her to seal the deal.

"Done." Marinette repeated, shaking his hand.

Kim's grin grew Cheshire-Cat like and Marinette had the feeling that something very bad was about to happen. Maybe she should have found out what he wanted _before_ making the bet. "But if _I_ win." His grin grew wider. Very, very bad. "The Fearsmol has to show up at school for the rest of the week.

Marinette choked on her own spit, Nino and Alya both started roaring with laughter, Rose and Alix fell into stunned silence, Mylene yelped in surprise and Sabrina spat out her juice in horror.

" _What_?" Marinette squeaked over Nino's laughter once she'd recovered. "You want the who to do what now?"

"The fear-what?" Adrien asked. Marinette's face turned a sickly shade of grey as she made eye contact with her crush. Nino sobered up immediately at the question.

"Bro you do _not_ want to find out." He stage whispered, slinging an arm around his friend and leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Marinette used to-"

Alya hit him over the head with her notebook. "Don't say 'you don't want to know' and then tell him anyway!" She snapped before turning to Kim. "That hatchet was buried a long time ago Kim."

"She's already agreed!" He argued. "Besides I'm not asking her to _do_ anything. It'd just be funny to see her like that again."

"Like what?" Adrien asked. He was very confused as to why everyone seemed to be almost _afraid_ of Kim's request. And what was the _fearsome_ anyway? "What's the fearsome?"

"It's the Fear _smol_ dummy." Alix called over to him. "And it's-" Rose launched herself over her desk and clamped her hand over the skater's mouth.

"We must protect him from the knowledge of the Fear- AH! Did you just lick me? Alix that's yucky!" She whined.

"You're just chicken." Kim taunted. "Because you know I'm right. Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk!" He folded his arms into chicken wings and flapped them at her, causing Marinette to slap his elbows away.

"I'll kick your ass." Marinette snapped, folding her arms over her chest defensively.

"It was a lot scarier when you said that while wearing black and leather instead of pink and denim. Now fight me or you lose by default!" He put his elbow back on the table and wriggled his fingers. Marinette cast a glance over at Alix who nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin painted on her face and then at Rose who shrugged.

Marinette placed her hand in Kim's, whose giant fingers easily wrapped around hers. Nino placed his hand on top of theirs.

"One handed only, first one to pin their opponent wins. There will be no betting on winners today."

Alix moaned in disappointment and put her wallet away. "I was gonna bet on Kim."

"Hey!" Marinette complained.

"Sorry girl, that's business for you." Alix shrugged and the rest of the class gathered around Marinette's desk.

"Three. Two. One." Nino lifted his hand and Kim immediately exerted pressure onto Marinette's hand, his fingers tightening around hers, more than likely cutting off her circulation.

Marinette yawned. "Oh, have we started?" She grinned and returned the favour pushing on Kim's hand, his elbow bending back towards his side of the table. "I hadn't noticed."

Kim gritted his teeth and screwed up his nose before his left hand darted out from under the table and slapped Marinette in the face. It wasn't a hard slap by any standards, in fact it was more of a tap really, but the sudden movement and the unexpected contact distracted her enough that her arm went slack and Kim pushed against her so her arm fell back against the table.

"Cheat!" She cried, backed up by Alya, Nathanael and Rose's cries of outrage as she withdrew her hand and turned on the referee. "He totally cheated Nino! Call him out on it!"

Nino shrugged. "He technically didn't break the rules, I didn't specifically say 'no slapping' so he's in the clear."

"It goes without saying that you don't slap your opponent!" She protested.

"Sorry Marinette." Nino raised his palms towards her. "It won't be that bad, it's just for the rest of the week and it's already Tuesday."

The bell rang and the rest of the class shuffled back to their seats. Kim flicked one of Marinette's twin-tails and she snarled at him. "We all look forward to seeing you tomorrow _chaton_." He barked mockingly. Adrien turned around so fast he got whiplash at the word 'chaton' being used to address Marinette but instead of a reply or a much needed explanation she stuck her leg out as Kim passed and he tripped, falling on his face.

* * *

Marinette fidgeted with the collar of her jacket anxiously as she triple checked her phone. Alya had promised to walk her to school on time so her entrance wouldn't be overly dramatic, but it had been a year since she'd worn this jacket and the memories that came with it weren't all that great. She'd even had to wash dried blood of the sleeves before she'd worn it today. She'd received three messages but none from her best friend.

 **From: Rose**  
-Alix and I are waiting at the steps; we'll all go in together.-

 **From: The Asshole with Pink Hair  
** -don't b a pussy and back out-

 **From: Adrien 3  
** -Are you sure you don't want me to talk Kim out of it?-

Marinette sighed and ignored the first two messages, but a text from Adrien was too precious to ignore, even though they were good friends and she could now talk to him with ease.

 **To: Adrien 3  
-**Thought you were curious? **-**

She checked herself in the mirror and almost winced at her reflection. She looked menacing and dangerous. _Though that was the point back then_ she thought bitterly. Her phone chimed twice.

 **From: Adrien 3  
** -Well yeah, but not at the expense of your comfort. You didn't seem all too keen about it yesterday...-

 **From: The Bae  
** -Get ur punk butt downstairs ur mum is about to make me third breakfast-

Marinette grabbed her old black and gold school bag and gulped. Ignoring Tikki's giggling; she opened the hatch and climbed down the stairs, her shoes clacking familiarly on the floor.

Alya laughed once when she saw her friend. "You look so good." She complimented. "Let's go yeah?"

* * *

Adrien adjusted the strap on his bag as he leaned against the wall, eyes glued to the bakery across the road.

"Chill man, she'll get here when she gets here." Nino slapped his friend on the back.

"I still don't get it."Adrien mumbled, unwillingly tearing his eyes away from the bakery door. "Is it like a club or something?"

Nino snorted and crossed his arms knowingly. "Or something." He glanced around, eyes falling on the two girls already waiting at the school entrance.

Rose stood with her hands clasped in front of her, rocking forwards onto her toes. She'd altered her style today, instead opting for a light pink, halter tutu dress that ended mid-thigh with a white ribbon tied around the waist, the bow at the side. Her feet encased in white sandals that looked very impractical, to Adrien at least and instead of her hair out and plain, a plait on either side of her face had been pinned back to hide underneath the rest of her hair.

Alix was beside her leaning on the brick wall, one foot resting on the wall behind her. Like Rose, she'd forgone her usual attire in favour of torn jeans, green converses and finger-less black lace gloves. Her hair was out and styled into a side swept look and it became apparent to Adrien that she was in fact, trying to grow out an undercut.

But what really got Adrien were the jackets. He'd seen those matching jackets in a picture before, though only for a second before Marinette had turned off her computer in embarrassment. Alix and Rose wore matching black leather jackets over their clothes. He'd managed to catch a glimpse of them as they'd walked past. On the back of Alix's jacket were thin purple and bronze wings, extended as though she were about to take flight while Rose's jacket had a pink and silver imprint of a rabbit foot. There was writing on the base of their jackets too, but he wasn't able to read it from this distance.

"The Fearsmol was a gang." Nino whispered, as though he were afraid someone would punch him for finally spilling the details that Adrien had been dying to hear. "I say was because they disbanded about a year and a bit ago. They helped out a lot, like they got rid of the bad crowds at school and stuff. It was just Alix, Rose and Marinette, but boy they were really something. Rose never really did much fighting unless-"

"Wait, fighting?" Adrien's eyes snapped back to his best friend.

Nino frowned. "Yeah, that's typically what you do in a gang. You kick butt. Now shut up and listen. So Rose was super quiet and never actually did a lot of the butt kicking unless they were stopping short of killing a man. She sucked at hand-to-hand combat, still does I think, but she was an expert at using weaponry, she could turn anything and I mean _anything_ into a weapon. She's the 'White Rabbit.'" Nino paused to sip his energy drink.

"White Rabbit?" Adrien glanced over at the blonde again. She waved cheerfully when she noticed him looking and he offered a small wave in return. Could she really be that dangerous?

"Yeah, you know. Cute and fluffy until you piss them off?" Nino offered. "Alix gave her that name. I'm pretty sure Rose mainly patched them up after they did... W/hatever they did, and she stayed in the background, the trump card. Alix was more... Active. She was pretty good at gathering info about people and their situations and about other gangs in the area, pretty good in a fight too from what I heard. Marinette called her 'The Humming Bird,' tiny and full of anger. She was a total expert at knowing the human body. She'd memorised all the pressure points in the human body by the time she was nine You know that scar she's got on her knuckles? The one she's really proud of?" Adrien nodded. "Punched a dude with glasses right in the face and the glass shattered.." Nino coughed and touched a hand to his own glasses.

"What were they called again?"

"Fearsmol, like fearsome and small put together." Nino meshed his fingers together to illustrate his point. "Alix came up with it I think; they were all about four foot at the time." He took another swig of his energy drink and 'ahhed' in satisfaction. "They were really good together."

"Why did they disband then? If they were that good?" Adrien asked.

"Ah, it's not totally dramatic as you might think. The Fearsmol were vigilante. Once Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up and started stopping those petting criminals as well as the possessions, there was no need for them anymore and so Marinette formally disbanded them. They had a ceremony and everything. Even though they could have still helped out with playground bullying but you know, it was Marinette's call." He finished his drink and crunched the can before throwing it in the bin and missing.

"Why Marinette?" Adrien watched his friend pick up the can and put in the bin properly.

"Marinette was the leader. Boss as fuck and hot as fuck. That's when I started to like her you know? She was really strong and brave and somehow she managed to be super hot while kicking ass? So yeah, Marinette's a total bad-ass. She made their jackets and everything. Make sure you get a good look at them later, especially the backs, they're so awesome." Nino slung his arm around his friends' shoulder to whisper in his ear. "Rumor has it that she taught Chat Noir all his moves."

Adrien snorted. "No way."

"Yes way man! It's totally plausible too, I mean when she was a kid she did gymnastics and dance and her mum is legit a black belt in like two kinds of martial arts. Sabine's the one who taught the girls how to fight. They've all been friends since we were kids." Adrien shivered at the thought of Sabine Cheng unleashing her fury in the form of fighting.

"Chat Noir though?" Adrien raised an eyebrow. He was one hundred and fifty percent sure that Marinette hadn't taught him how to fight, but there had to be more reasoning behind it than their similarities in fighting style.

"Yeah bro it makes sense, Chat Noir is a black cat and Marinette was-."

Alix let loose a loud wolf-whistle, cutting Nino off. "Hot as _fuck_ Marinette Dupain-Cheng." She yelled across the courtyard.

"Looking good Marinette!" Kim called cheekily from the bench.

Adrien and Nino turned to see the girl in question. The second they saw her, Nino's arm dropped from Adrien's shoulder as he straightened and Adrien felt his throat seize up.

"...The Black Panther." Nino choked out.

Marinette was striding across the courtyard like she owned it, her chin high and her mouth set in a line that screamed _'don't fuck with me,'_ her fingers hooked in the loops of her Rose and Alix, she'd switched her outfit for the day, but unlike the other two girls, her outfit was a drastic change from her usual choice of clothing. She was dressed all in black, skinny jeans and, under her gang jacket, a tight-fitting black shirt that hugged her frame perfectly, outlining her waist while the jeans drew attention to her legs that seemed much longer than they usually did. Her hair tumbled in loose waves around her shoulders, messy, like she'd just come back from the corner of a party with her boyfriend. Her black pumps clicked against the stone as she walked past groups of students, conversations ceased as she made her way over to the two girls standing at the front door. As she walked past, Adrien opened his mouth to greet her, and failed. Miserably, he was not even able to manage a _sound_. His eyes lingered on the black eyeliner that flicked upwards into what he knew to be a 'cat-eye' style. _Had her eyes always been that blue?_ She sauntered up the steps confidently and he watched her hook her little finger with Alix and Rose before and Adrien registered Alya's presence beside him.

"You dropped something." She informed him.

Adrien ripped his eyes away from the dark-haired girl and cast a quick glance around the ground before meeting Alya's gaze. "No?"

"Your jaw." Alya winked and laughed at his flustered expression. "Don't pop a boner friend; you'll be suffering all day. And for the next two days." She snickered at his spluttering and walked away.

Nino raised an eyebrow at Adrien. "See what I mean bro?"

"I thought you liked Alya." Adrien murmured, his eyes fixated on the girl at the schools entrance.

"I do, doesn't mean I can't appreciate the return of The Black Panther."

"Uh-huh." Adrien watched as the three girls disappeared into the school building and he jolted in surprise as he realised that the bell had rung and he'd missed it. "Is that why Kim called her kitten yesterday?" He asked as he and Nino made their way up the stairs.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Ever since they disbanded, Kim likes to joke that Marinette has been domesticated. You know, like a cat."

"Right."

Adrien opened the door to the classroom and nearly stumbled as his eyes fell onto Marinette. She was in the process of removing her jacket almost like she was teasing him- _even though it wasn't sexual at all and goddamn it, he shouldn't be having these thoughts about his friend_ -to reveal that the tight black shirt sat _across_ her shoulders, rather than on top. The style exposed the tops of her shoulders and her collarbone. It wasn't technically a slutty outfit, it covered everything it needed to and she wasn't actually showing that much skin but for some reason, the knowledge that Marinette had freckles dusting her shoulders made Adrien race to his seat and place his bag in his lap.

* * *

 _Alix snarled as she threw herself onto her chair. "It's not fair." She growled, pushing her brown bangs out of her face._

 _Marinette stole a glance at Chloe, every inch of her the picture of the perfect angel Marinette knew she wasn't. "I know."_

 _"Now Alya had to go home again." Alix bit the end of her ponytail. "She is always pretending she is sick when she is hurting. But the person who is sick is Chloe. Alya doesn't have_

 _dirty skin, she doesn't!" She slammed her fist on the table for emphasis. Marinette grabbed her wrist and pulled it under the table as the teacher searched for the source of the sound. She wasn't happy either, Alya was her best friend and she was perfect the way she was, but there wasn't anything she could do about it until school was over for the day, getting angry would solve nothing. Besides, she was only five and going up against Chloe meant going up against her papa too._

 _"We should do something." Rose whispered behind her hand as the teacher turned back to the whiteboard. "Maybe we can tell Alya's maman?"_

 _Marinette shook her head. "She works for Chloe's papa. Chloe might cause a fuss and then tante will get fired from his hotel."_

 _Alix wrinkled her nose in confusion. "You call Alya's maman 'tante'?" She asked the brunette._

 _Marinete shrugged. "No grown-ups." She whispered. "Pinky swear?" She held out her hand._

 _Both Alix and Rose hooked their fingers around Marinette's._

 _..._

 _Marinette tore the glove out of her friend's hand and threw it on the floor. "What are you doing? You stupid!" She screamed, snatching Alya's bleeding arm and blotting it with a towel. Alya's maman wasn't home, she had been working overtime at the hotel and her papa was out of town for a few days which left Alya home alone. Marinette had been right to check on her friend, as soon as she entered the small apartment she could hear the water running in the bathroom. She'd raced upstairs to find Alya bent over the bath, scrubbing desperately at her arm with a glove that was scratchy and hurt Marinette's skin the one time she'd used it._

 _"It won't go away." Alya replied quietly, staring at her arm. Marinette scowled and pulled her friend into a hug._

 _"It's not going to go away you idiot. It's you." She patted her friend's hair the way she petted her cousins' dog, unsure of how she should comfort her friend. "There's nothing wrong with you. It's just Chloe being awful." She assured her._

 _"But it's-" Alya began to protest. Her body was shaking and silent tears leaked out from the corner of her eyes._

 _"I think your skin is beautiful!" Marinette pulled back and gripped her friend by the shoulders. "It looks so pretty just like you and you're perfect how you are." And it was true, she'd always been envious of Alya's beautiful complexion but somehow Chloe made it seem like it was something that should be avoided._

 _Alya's lip trembled. "Really?"_

 _Marinette forced a smile and ignored the droplets of blood that stood out on the white towel. "Of course!"_

 _Alya gave her friend a shaky smile and hugged her again. Marinette patted her on the back, her mouth set in a thin line. Chloe wasn't going to get away with making her best friend bleed._  
...

Marinette jolted awake with a gasp, disturbing Tikki who was resting on her stomach. Her eyes found the moonlight that poured through her glass hatch and she sighed. Tikki opened her eyes wearily and blinked groggily at her charge before crawling up to the base of her neck. "Are you okay Marinette?" She asked sleepily.

"Yep." Marinette forced her voice to remain even. "Just a dream."

"Another precognition?" Tikki asked, suddenly alert.

"No." Marinette stroked her Kwami's head thoughtfully. "A memory."

Tikki dozed off again, her tiny snuffles soothing Marinette's racing heart. She hadn't had that dream for a while now. Not since she'd become Ladybug. So why? Marinette shifted Tikki onto the mattress and crept down the ladder, her bare feet padding almost silently on the floor of her bedroom. Her pumps, kicked haphazardly to one side, sat almost innocently on the floor, her eyes roved the room, searching for the incriminating item that Marinette suspected was the source of the dream. Her jacket was slung over her desk chair and she inched towards it slowly as though it were really a wild panther that could come alive and devour her. When it didn't try to eat her she picked it up to examine it.

She'd made them a few years ago, and, at Alix's numerous requests, had continued to alter them as the three of them grew so that they would always fit. They were as black as her name suggested. The back of her jacket displayed two bright green cat eyes at top, between where her shoulder blades would be, piercing and alive, even in the dim light, they almost seemed to glare. A little lower, underneath her shoulder blades, almost in the centre of her back, but not quite, lay gold claw marks that crossed over one another as they dropped down to her waist and ended at the opposite side of where they started, stopping at the side seam of the jacket. They were jagged, like the jacket itself had been ripped open and Marinette hadn't sewn it back together. Below it, the place that would cover the small of her back, read 'The Black Panther' in Cabazon font. It had taken her much longer than she'd like to admit to learn to stitch in fonts, but she was glad she'd learned early on in her designing career. It made learning everything else much easier now.

She ran her finger along the high-backed collar as she turned it over and spread it out on her desk, nudging her mouse by accident and waking up her computer. The light reflected on the gold zippers on either side, much like, she noted with irony, the zippers on Chat Noir's suit, though The Black Panther had existed long before Chat Noir, so perhaps he stole his style from her. Besides, she could fit a lot more in her pockets; she'd made sure of that when she first designed them. It was the only thing the three of them could initially agree on; functional pockets in which you can fit more than just a tissue and some lint. Her name was in her own neat, gold, cursive handwriting over the right breast, big enough to be seen from a distance but small enough that it didn't take away from the rest of the jacket. It had been Rose's idea, to have their real names on their jackets too, in their own hand writing style. That's why Alix's had come out in an odd sort of purple chicken-scratch and Rose's had turned out in magenta with the 'o' in the shape of a blooming rose. The jacket zipped all the way up to the side-winged collar that had taken her more than a week to get right and even as she examined it she could find tiny mistakes in the stitching that she wouldn't make if she were to re-create the jackets now.

Marinette sighed and sat in her desk chair, hands running over and over the zipper on one of the pockets, her eyes wandered to the screen saver that she hadn't changed yet. Herself, Alix and Rose, arms linked, smiling, just a few days before they disbanded. The day Marinette received her Miraculous.

* * *

Alix was perched on the edge of Nino's desk chatting happily with Alya about some new TV show by the time Adrien arrived. He slipped into his seat silently and fixed his eyes on his papers, even though class hadn't started yet. He'd been feeling uneasy all morning and he was yet to figure out why. At one point he'd thought it was because Nathalie had maybe given him her skinny, double shot latte instead of his full-cream decaf with sugar and extra cream that the chef slipped him whenever he could, but no, he'd been feeling anxious before he'd even _seen_ his coffee that morning. Whatever had him so nervous had been plaguing him since he woke up. His churning stomach accompanied by Plagg's constant snickering made him glance up at every sound, waiting for the universe to strike him down.

"Hey Adrien." Alya's voice made him turn and he quickly schooled his features into something that resembled a normal expression. "Did you watch the news last night? Ladybug totally kicked ass right?"

Adrien's worry slipped away at the thought of his Lady. She'd certainly done very well in their latest escapade, in fact, she'd done a little too well, and she'd taken down three of their regular, non-akumatized opponents before he could even blink. And she'd shown little to no mercy to boot. Unfortunately, she'd zipped away before he could question her on her new choice of battle tactics. As he engaged in the conversation about how amazing Ladybug was, complete with admiring Alya's footage, his anxiousness slipped away until he forgot that he'd been nervous at all

"Good morning Adrien." The anxiety slammed back into him full-force and he spun around in his seat so fast that he nearly fell off his chair. Her voice was smooth and silky, an unintentional purr. _Ah,_ he thought faintly, _that's why._ Marinette greeted Alya and Alix in turn, her deep purple lipstick a stark contrast to her pale skin but somehow matched the dark tresses that framed her face. Today she'd abandoned the skin-tight shirts and instead wore a loose light gray singlet with denim shorts. _Not so bad, just don't stare... What the hell?_ Adrien frowned at his line of thought which screeched to a halt as Marinette dropped her bag on the floor and hoisted herself up onto his desk. He scrambled to move his papers as she crossed her legs, studiously looking away from the stockings she wore under her shorts.

"Good Morning." He whispered hoarsely.

She frowned. "Do you have a sore throat or something?"

"What? Ah no..." He covered his mouth to cough into his palm. "No. Just had a frog in there." He laughed weakly at his joke and was rewarded with a smile as she accepted his excuse.

Alix engaged her in conversation a second later and he breathed a sigh of relief as he was afforded a reprieve from the bright eyes that burned him. Nino sauntered in a moment later and immediately shoved his headphones over Adrien's head, demanding he listen to his latest mix. The bell rang and Marinette slipped off his desk and sat in her own seat behind him. He tried to ignore her, he really did, but as she'd walked past her scent hit him like a train. It wasn't the same as usual; florally with a tiny bit of peach that he knew came from her perfume because he'd seen the bottle on her vanity last time he had been at her house. No, it wasn't sweet and innocent, today she was all musk and leather and it was so enticing that every toss of her hair sent a new wave of her rolling towards him, preparing him for ; _Death a la Marinette_. He was hyper-aware of her every movement, every shift of her body, the clink of her zipper against the table when she leaned over to whisper to Alya, the soft scratching of her pencil as she sketched. It was completely and utterly ridiculous.

She felt herself dozing off; there was nothing interesting to keep her awake today. It was easy to ignore how beautiful Adrien was today; easy to talk to him and look him in the eye, all she had to do was lose herself in her old self, the one that thought only of desired outcomes, not of the consequences or how far she'd have to go to get there. It was scary how easy it was to revert back to how she was before. Sickeningly easy.

 _..._

 _"You want to learn martial arts?" Sabine asked as she placed a rack of buns on the shelf, pretending not to notice when Alix swiped one. "Whatever for?"_

 _"To protect Alya maman!" Marinette whined, following her mother into the kitchen as she picked up another rack of freshly baked goods. "Me and Alix and Rose. We want to protect our friends!" Sabine handed her daughter the flat boxes to place near the counter as they headed back into the shop._

 _Sabine regarded her daughter for a moment, her eyes roving to the auburn haired Alix chewing furiously on an iced bun to Rose, calming sipping a glass of milk, legs crossed delicately. "If I teach you. If!" She added when Alix cheered. "You are not allowed to abuse what I teach you. You must not threaten anyone with it, or use it to show off. It's for self-preservation only! It's not something that should be undertaken lightly do you understand? I suppose I'll have to teach you different styles so you're not all going to-" She broke off as Alix and Marinette threw themselves at her._

 _"Thank you maman!"_

 _"Thanks!"_

 _..._

Marinette blinked blearily and glanced down at her knuckles and jerked in surprise when she saw them covered in bloody scratches. Her sudden movement attracted the attention of both Alya and her teacher as her tablet was sent flying off the table, hitting Adrien in the back of the head. He handed it back to her, concern painting his features.

"Sorry." She whispered, unable to find the strength to apologise properly.

"Turn around please Adrien." The teacher chided gently.

He did so, eyes lingering on her face a little longer than necessary as he turned to face the front. _Are you okay?_ Alya mouthed. Marinette stiffly nodded in affirmation as she ran her fingers repeatedly over her knuckles, now smooth and blood-free. When the bell rang to signal the end of class, Marinette was the first one out the door.

 _..._

 _"Don't push me." Alix growled, lunging forward and sinking her thumb into the pressure point between the man's index and thumb._

 _..._

Why wouldn't the memories leave her alone?

* * *

Rose found her ten minutes later, hunched over a sink in the girl's bathroom struggling to breathe. She helped Marinette out of her jacket to cool her down and steered her to a cubicle just before Marinette threw up. Pushing her dark hair out of her friend's face, Rose sent a quick text to Alya and Alix.

 **To: HB, Alya**  
-Found. Second floor bathroom.-

She held Marinette's hair as she shuddered over the toilet bowl, offering her paper to dab at her mouth. The brunette took it gratefully and wiped the bile from her chin and lips, smearing her lipstick in the process. Rose's phone chimed.

 **From: HB  
** -Omw-

 **From: Alya  
** -Should I come?-

Rose hesitated. Alya was Marinette's best friend, but there really wasn't anything she could do. There wasn't anything any of them could do, especially with Marinette refusing to talk about _that._

 **To: Alya  
** -It's a FS thing-

Alya didn't respond. A knock on the locked cubicle door jolted Rose from her thoughts as she reached up and unlocked the latch from her position on the ground. Alix slid into the now very cramped toilet cubicle and passed a water bottle to Marinette.

"Always heaving up your guts, hey kitten?" She teased, patting her hair. Marinette smiled weakly at the endearment and gulped the water so fast that Alix snatched it out of her hands. "Sips Marinette, we've been through this before. Drink too fast and you'll be sick again." Marinette nodded and reached for the bottle. Alix crouched on the ground near the door and placed her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You've got to let it go, it's not good for you. Look at what it's doing to you."

Rose patted her knee in agreement. "It wasn't you fault and it's all better now." Marinette ignored them and continued to drink. Rose opened her satchel and pulled out her makeup bag. She crawled over to Marinette, settled between her legs and began to fix the dark purple mess that had once painted her lips.

"Dude it was like a year ago." Alix flexed her arm to illustrate her point. "See? Total movement, total control and no pain." When Marinette didn't respond she sighed. "Look, we know why you called us to disband and we're not pissed about it. But this guilt Marinette..." She ran her hand through her pink hair in agitation. "You've got to let it go."

Marinette shook her head. "You don't get it."

Alix growled in frustration. "Then fucking tell us so we understand. There's something missing to this whole thing isn't there? Something you haven't told us?" Marinette didn't answer and instead ducked her head to rest on her knees, hiding her expression from the two girls.

Rose shot Alix a look before sitting back on her heels. Marinette's lips were their regular shade of pink, no trace of purple lipstick or vomit in sight. Rose stood and placed the soiled toilet paper in the toilet and flushed before sliding back down to sit opposite Marinette. "It's okay you know." She whispered. Marinette raised her head to see Rose extending her little finger towards her. Alix locked her finger with Rose's and after a second's hesitation, Marinette did the same.

* * *

The period after lunch dragged on for both Marinette and Adrien. It was Physics, and even though it was Adrien's favourite subject, he was unable to concentrate. Marinette had returned to class without her lipstick and even though she'd obviously been distressed, he wondered if someone had kissed it off her. He snuck glances at her occasionally, careful to avoid attracting the attention of his teacher and both Nino and Alya. Her hair had been pulled up into a messy, stubby ponytail at the base of her neck, her bangs pinned back out of her face. His second not-so-sneaky glance revealed to him that she had deep purple bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep that her make-up could not hide. His third and fourth peeks told him that her neck and ears were flushed and that she was no longer wearing her jacket, nor was it anywhere in sight. Unfortunately the fifth time he looked back, he found out that even though Marinette's usually sparkling blue eyes were bloodshot and dull, they could still send shivers down his spine when she caught him staring at her.

"This is like the sixth time you've looked at me in the past ten minutes Adrien." She placed her chin in her palm and leaned forwards on her elbow.

"I counted seven." Alya whispered, not even looking up from her tablet.

"Five, actually." Nino murmured, keeping his eyes on the teacher, lest she turn around and give them all detention for talking during her class.

Adrien fumbled for an excuse. "I-uh-Your lipstick..." He finally managed to speak coherently but he nearly smacked himself at the words that spilled from his lips. _Out of all the suggestive-  
_  
"I wiped it off." She replied smoothly. "It wasn't working for me."

"Oh." Adrien said dumbly before turning around and returning to his Physics notes. He gave Nino a swift kick under the seat as he snickered.

The bell rang and Marinette took her time to collect her things. She was in no hurry to return to her house, not when her house promised calmness and sanctuary. Calm invited mindlessness and vacancy which paved the road to remembering things she didn't want to remember.

"Marinette?" She jerked up at the sound of her name and was greeted with green eyes. "Are you okay?"

Marinette smiled. "I'm fine Adrien." He bit his lip. She obviously wasn't fine but it wasn't his place to pry. Her voice was soft, broken almost, not like the tone she'd been using earlier that day when she'd greeted him or even just before when she'd teased him about staring.

"Aw." Kim crooned as he walked past. "Isn't the Panther feeling well?" He ruffled Marinette's hair and snorted.

"Bite me." She snarled; leaning forwards into a predatory crouch, startling Kim who hastily stepped back. Alya gripped her friend's arm, causing Marinette's spine to snap straight as she blinked rapidly, a bemused expression on her face.

Kim raised his palms to her in surrender. "Sorry."

"I don't go by that name anymore Kim." She said quietly as she swept her hand across her desk, successfully catching all her belongings in her bag before slinging it across her shoulders and exiting the room.

Alix punched Kim in the shoulder. "Nice going asshole." She hissed. "This is all your fault.

"How was I supposed to know she was still torn up about it?" He paused and blanched as Alix winced and moved to grip her shoulder. "Sorry, that wasn't the best choice of word."

The two continued their argument that meant nothing to Adrien but seemed to have their remaining classmates riveted.

Adrien stared at the door where Marinette had just exited before spotting the stylus for her tablet on the ground. He pounced on it. It wasn't the best excuse to go and see her, but it was better than nothing.

* * *

Sabine noticed him the second he walked in the door. "Adrien!" She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "How are you?" She asked cheerfully once she'd pulled away. "Marinette's upstairs if you're looking for something sweeter than what we have down here." She winked at his flustered expression before pushing a box into his hands and giving him a friendly push towards the back door.

Adrien's feet felt heavy as he walked up the stairs. _What was he supposed to say? What was he even doing here?_ But most importantly; _Was she okay?_ He knocked on the door and waited for it to open. When it didn't immediately open, he rummaged through his bag for her stylus. He'd just placed it on the ground in front of the door when it opened.

"Ah! Marinette!" He forced out as he straightened up, almost brushing his body against hers as he did so. "I just... You... Here." He shoved the pen into her hands. She looked down at the pen, and an awkward silence followed. "I'd better go..." He laughed, raising his hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Thanks." He put his hand down as she whispered her thanks, taking in her appearance. She'd changed into a loose baseball style shirt and sweatpants, her hair wet and curl _y, from the shower_ he realized, her face free of makeup. There was something insanely sexy about Marinette like this, her fresh from the shower, unable to hide behind make-up and causal clothes, it felt intimate, like this would be how her lover would see her in the morning. "Do you have anywhere to be?" She asked suddenly. He shook his head and she stepped aside. "Do you want to come in? I was about to make some tea." He stepped into the living room without hesitation and the door clicked shut behind him.

Halfway through his cup of tea he had to ask. "Are you okay Marinette?" She glanced over at him in surprise.

"Fine. Why?"

"In class... You seemed... You know..."

"Ah." She put her cup down and screwed up her nose in distaste. "I haven't worn that jacket in a long time. It brings back unpleasant memories."

"Something about Alix?" He asked and immediately wished he hadn't. Her posture changed into something much more defensive and her top lip curled back into a snarl, her face drained of its colour.

"Did Kim send you?" She hissed.

"What? No!" He put his cookie down and held his hands up to her. "I didn-"

"What are you playing at? Some kind of sick game to keep asking me until I tell you? Who put you up to it?" She continued, standing now as she gripped the edge of the counter with white knuckles. "How dare you!" She snarled.

"No games Marinette! And no-one put me up to anything! I just thought you weren't feeling well and I came to see if you were okay. I promise!"

Her furious expression melted into horror as the fire left her eyes and she slumped back into her chair. "I'm so sorry." The words were muffled by her arm but he heard them anyway. Feeling brave he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry."

She looked up at him horrified; face still flushed from her outburst. "No, God no, don't be sorry. I just... It wasn't great. It was an accident but _she shouldn't have been there_. I mean there was no way she could have known about Ladybug but possessed people are different from regular people and it wasn't fair what happened to Alix and Ladybug should have been able to stop it from happening but she didn't and so I had to disband us because what if she tried to do it again? And I couldn't deal with the guilt and I-"

"Shit Marinette, _breathe._ " She sucked in a breath and let it out noisily. "I have no idea what you just said." He told her honestly. "If you want to tell me, that's cool, if not, that's okay too."

She shook her head and crammed a cookie in her mouth.

"No? Then I have a serious matter to attend to." She frowned as a shit-eating grin spread itself onto his face. "I have to kick your butt at that new video game you got last week."

* * *

The afternoon stretched into evening, Marinette's fairy lights were lit and Tom and Sabine had made several trips upstairs to feed them. The screen announced Marinette's sixth victory as Adrien groaned in defeat and reached for a cookie.

"Can I tell you?" Marinette whispered, speaking for the first time in the past hour.

"Tell me what?" Adrien asked through his cookie, green eyes lighting in realisation as they found her face. "About Alix?" Marinette nodded."Only if you want to. Talking can help sometimes." He moved closer to her, shoulders a breath apart, a distance she could close if she wanted, or needed to.

"So." She cleared her throat. "Um. I'm not sure if you remember the first time Ladybug was seen by the public?" Adrien nodded, confused. Of course he remembered. He hadn't received his Miraculous yet, and wouldn't for another six months, but he was already smitten with the red and black heroine.

"And the um, Akuma. It wasn't a very nice one." This was true, he remembered it well, a butcher Akuma who forced Paris to go into lock-down. The very first Akuma seen by the public and people didn't know how to deal with it, especially with cleavers and steak knives that tore anything on sight.

"Well..." She took a shuddering breath and buried her face in her knees, words spilling out desperately like water escaping from her lungs so that she could breathe. "Alix and Rose thought they could stop it and the Akuma went after them. He... he sliced through Alix's shoulder and her arm just... came off." The way she phrased it was anti-climatic, but Adrien knew it was everything but that. "Ladybug fixed it and there isn't even a scar but it was so dangerous and I had no idea that they were doing such stupid stuff behind my back and I couldn't help but think they'd do it again and so I disbanded them so they wouldn't do anything like that again, and it's Ladybug's fault that Alix had to go through something like that because she wasn't quick enough to defeat the Akuma and it was so scary and there was blood everywhere and Alix had nightmares about it for months and I still dream about it and-"

" _Breathe_." He reminded her gently. She did, taking deep, shuddering breaths that jerked her shoulders. He awkwardly placed an arm around her shoulders, unsure of how to comfort his distressed friend. Crying he could deal with, but this was something else.

"And it's entirely _my fault_ because if I hadn't formed the group in the first place it _never_ would have happened." She buried her face in her hands and drew her knees closer to her chest.

"Oh, Marinette..." He pulled her closer and patted her hair, still not sure on the best course of action to soothe her. "It's not your fault." She pressed her face into his shoulder. "Or Ladybug's fault." He added. "It's no one's fault."

"But it still happened." She whispered. She wasn't crying, but she was struggling to breathe and her body was shaking with the effort it took to draw the ragged breaths. He pushed her shoulders back so she was sitting upright.

"Breathe Marinette. Just breathe okay?" She nodded shakily but her breathing didn't improve. Instead she tried to breathe faster, the breaths now shallow and quick, her hands shaking as the gripped his biceps for support. Adrien recognised these breaths, and the shaking hands. "Marinette, it's okay. It's okay." He titled her chin up, moving to cup her cheek with one hand before resting his forehead against hers. "You need to breathe. You're panicking." He made sure he kept his voice low and quiet, the way Gorilla used to, though the forehead touching wasn't a technique his chuffer had used but he could tell that Marinette needed the physical reassurance as well. "Breathe with me okay?" He inhaled and exhaled to the rhythm he'd learned after his mother's disappearance and after a few minutes, she was breathing properly again even though her hands were still unsteady. Her breath fanned his face and he felt guilty for thinking about how easy it would be to kiss her now, their lips only inches apart. He pulled away. "Are... Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry."

Ah, the apology, she was probably feeling embarrassed about her display and guilty that she'd put it all on him. At least if she was apologising, she was feeling better. "It's okay, really." He moved his hands from her leg and cheek to take hold of her hands. "I understand. I do. That's a lot for you to be holding on to. But Alix is okay and you're okay." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Besides, Ladybug and Chat Noir know what they're doing, they're getting really good at it now and they'll keep us all safe no matter what. Right?"

She nodded, eyes darting down to their joined hands before flitting back up to his face. "Thank you and... I'm sorry."

He grinned. "It's not an issue Marinette. That's what friends are for." She looked surprised and he frowned. "We are friends right Marinette?"

"Yes!" Her face broke into her trademark smile and Adrien had to resist the urge to squish her cheeks. "Yes we are!"

"That's good."

There was a small silence in which Adrien remembered to let go of Marinette's hands and Marinette picked up their controllers again to start a new game.

"Will you still wear your Panther outfit tomorrow?" He asked.

Marinette shrugged. "It doesn't really suit me up I guess a bet is a bet."

"I think you'd look good even if you wore nothing." He replied without thinking. Then, as his words sunk in he turned to her horrified. "I did not mean it like that!" He yelled over her laughter.

* * *

 **Adrien think before you speak that's how you got into this mess in the first place?**

 **What was this fuckery? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. Drop a review and let me know if you're interested in seeing more of the Fearsmol because I have more crap about them than I have about anything that happened in cannon.**

 **400+ followers? HOW DARE YOU ALL READ THIS TRASH THAT IS LITERALLY SHITPOSTING AND FUCKERY! I LOVE YOU ALL OMG I CRI**

 **18-Love (MY TIME HATH ARRIVED)**


	18. 18-Love

**My children are older in this drabble. They've had time to become friends and the like.**

 **And oh my gosh, 500 followers? You guys are seriously too sweet and I love you all very, very much. You are why I do what I do and I can't thank you enough. When this has been posted, if you toddle over to my Tumblr; LastRoseOfSpring you will find a post with links to all the fanart you guys have been sending in! 500 followers and the series is**

 ** _far_ from being over!**

 **One more thing flowerpots! An amazing Tumblr artist by the name of zwienzixes has begun drawing the previous chapter in comic form! So if you haven't got enough of the Fearsmol and can't wait for their *cough* upcoming chapter *cough*, head on over to her blog and track the tag; monminou17**

 **18-Love**

 **Loving her was easy.**

* * *

 _Storge-Empathy Bond: Liking someone through fondness or familiarity, people who find themselves bonded by chance; like family._

Adrien laughed at Tom's joke as Marinette rolled her eyes at her father. Apparently, after months of trying, all it had taken for her to open up to him were a few well-placed cat jokes and time. He was glad, she was one of those people who lit up the room by simply _being_ there and their friendship meant the bakery door was always open for him. Today he'd been fortunate enough to be invited to her house so he could help her with her Physics (he'd pounced on the opportunity when he found out she needed help) and for the time being, that meant waiting downstairs in the bakery because Sabine hadn't been expecting him and insisted she be allowed to tidy up the living room before they went upstairs.

"No _bun_ intended" Tom continued with a wink, holding up the rack of freshly baked bread. "But I'm on a _roll_." He finished, laughing his deep-belly laugh at his own joke.

"No!" Marinette wailed, putting her head in her hands. She glanced at the blond through her fingers and slapped her hand over his mouth when he opened it. "Don't encourage it!" She hissed. He raised an eyebrow and her expression melted into confusion for a split-second before dawning with understanding. "Don't you _dare_ Agreste."

He grinned under her hand but before she could move it away from her impending doom, he'd already stuck his tongue out and licked her. She hit his shoulder and wiped her hand on her jeans. "Adrien that is _disgusting_. What are you an animal?" He grinned and poked his tongue out again, waggling it in her direction as she tried and failed to contain her giggles. A customer he knew to be a regular was chatting with Tom at the front counter and beckoned Marinette over. She spared a fake glance of annoyance at him before walking over and promptly being engaged in conversation. Adrien leaned against the wall and studied his friend, his _Lady._ He couldn't believe he had missed it for so long. They were after all, exactly the same, unlike him, her personality didn't change when she transformed and neither did her hairstyle. He was lucky, he supposed, that he had been enrolled into public school, lucky that it had been the same school as her, even luckier that he'd been placed in her class, and the _seating_ _arrangements.._. Or maybe luck had nothing to do with it because she was his Lady after all and Ladybug and Chat Noir were destined to meet and be together, or so Tikki had told him.

* * *

 _Philia-Friend Bond: The love between friends as close as siblings in strength and duration, less natural and instinctive because it is not necessary, but is freely chosen._

She slapped his hand away from hers as she tried stick another pin in the hem of the jacket.

"Stop squirming." She chastised him. "And stop trying to 'help' you're making it harder to get the hem straight, I don't want to have to start again."

He snorted. "It's going to be perfect no matter what." But he put his arms up anyway and stood straighter as per her request.

She didn't answer and he peeked down at her as she kneeled at his side, her head just past his hip. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about how if she moved just a little to the right, it would look very _suggestive_ , because she was his friend and that was very inappropriate. Instead he cleared his thoughts and resumed his study of her. The tip of her tongue poked out from between her teeth in concentration and for a reason he couldn't identify, her hands were shaking.

"You okay?" He murmured quietly. Loud enough for her to hear, but quiet enough for her to pretend she didn't.

"Yeah, I'm just nervous." She finished pinning the hem of the jacket and sat back on her haunches. "What if he doesn't like it?" She whispered.

Chat removed the coat carefully and draped it around the mannequin. "Gabriel or Adam?"

Marinette poked his thigh. " _Adrien_." She corrected. "And I mean Mr. Agreste. What if he doesn't like it? What if he thinks it's a total disaster? What if it falls apart on the runway or if the buttons are too shiny and the glare from the lights is hideous? Wha- _Why are you laughing at me?_ " She became more distressed with each reason she listed and the last sentence of her tirade was complete with a dramatic increase in pitch.

Chat knelt in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders gently. "Princess. This is what, the sixth competition you've entered?" Marinette nodded and he grinned. "And you've won how many of them?"

"Five." She whispered. "But this is different!" Her voice was insistent and she completely missed the look of exasperation and affection on her friend's face. "This is a senior competition! What if I completely disgrace myself?" She continued to ramble on and Chat dropped his hands from her shoulders and tuned out. She always got like this before a competition, and ever since the time he'd knocked over her plants on her balcony and she demanded he come inside and be her male mannequin for a design contest coming up as payment, he'd been assuring her that her designs were amazing. He was right of course, but then again, so was she. The senior contest boasted talented people from the ages of 16-25, some of which even studying fashion or art in university. But Marinette was talented and even if she didn't come first, he was sure she would at least place. Slowly he fazed back into the present to see her glaring at him. _Crap._

"Uh... What?" He laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I knew you weren't listening!" She cried, her voice still edging on panic.

He sighed. "Look, here's the thing." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to her desk. "Look at all this Mari," He traced a finger along her sewing machine "All your hard work." He carefully flipped a page over in her notebook before picking up a spool of thread and wrapping the straggling thread up into the spool. "This is what counts." He lifted the spool up to show her the golden thread. "The fact that you put so much effort into it, so much time and love, doesn't that count for anything?" He placed it back on the table and took her shoulders again. "You love it. You love what you do and that's what's important. Right?"

She huffed, turned away and began shuffling things on her desk but she couldn't hide the pink that burned her ears.

* * *

 _Eros-Erotic Bond: Raw sexuality, the difference between wanting a woman and wanting a particular woman a composite of a reasoning angel and an instinctual alley cat._

Her lips were against his ear, humming affirmations of her affection as he writhed beneath her, his sheets twisted in his hands. The hand not holding her up was everywhere, the velvet glove skimming his bare torso, tracing his collarbone, his biceps, his stomach, dancing along the edge of his waistband before gliding back up to less sensitive areas. Her mouth, twisted into a permanent self-satisfied grin was hot and wet on his neck as she trailed sloppy kisses from his ear to his shoulder and back up, her tongue lavishing attention on the junction as she passed it, her teeth grazing his earlobe after she began each cycle anew.

"Ladybug." He was almost embarrassed when her name tumbled from his lips in a breathy grunt without his permission. But she seemed pleased and rewarded him with a kiss. A proper one.  
His hands left the sheets and wandered to her face, tracing the underside of her mask, the shell of her ear, her jaw. Adrien was sure he had never wanted anyone so much; his moved his hands to her sides, pulling her body flush to his by her waist. She crashed into him and her breath left her as she giggled.

"Not enough for you Handsome Boy?" She giggled. Greedily, he pressed his lips to the spot just below her ear, a smirk forming on his lips as she sighed in satisfaction. Her hands moved to his hair, and she tilted her head so he could reach, but Adrien had a better idea. He hooked his leg around her hip and flipped her over, so she landed on his bed with a soft thump.

"Hey." She complained.

"It's your turn Princess." He growled, dipping his head, he placed one hand on the lowest point of her hip that he knew was still in their 'safe' zone as the he rested on his forearm, so he didn't squash her under his weight. He put his lips to the strip of skin that was visible above the high neckline of her suit. "I had to wait all day for this." He murmured against her skin, causing her to shiver.

"You-" Her breath hitched as she let out a whine. He'd scraped his teeth painfully over the sensitive part of her neck but now his tongue was there in apology, wet and sinful against her throat. She barely registered his low chuckle as his thumb dared to stroke lower on her leg, finding the spot where her thigh met... _Oh._ She arched against him, hearing his breath of amusement and caught between wanting to scold him for laughing at her and groaning his name.

"You can't call me Princess when I'm Ladybug." She found herself saying. A flash of pink light and Adrien's hand had slid up her shirt, palm resting on her stomach, while the other found her thigh.

"I'm so out." Tikki whispered, zipping off to the lounge room to find Plagg.

"Allow me to finish what I started _Princess_." Marinette scowled but didn't protest as his head lowered again, this time his lips finding her exposed stomach

"Yes but-" She was cut off again by his hand sliding up her skirt. _Oh._

* * *

 _Agape-Unconditional 'God' Love: The love that serves regardless of changing circumstances._

She was one of the few things in his life that he'd had a say about. It was something that he didn't even know he was capable of, to love her so fully that he was willing to dedicate himself, both his love and his life, to her. She deserved all the happiness in the world, all the love, and yet, he still felt she deserved more than he could give. But she'd chosen him. She' chosen him years ago when they first met and she continued to choose him every day. Just like he chose her. But Chat knew there was more he could give to her, something as perfect as she, but when he'd asked what she wanted, she'd laughed at him, kissed him and told him, 'Just love me kitten. That's all I want.' And so he did. He devoted himself to her and was ecstatic and more than a little surprised when she reciprocated. It was something he had to work for, the love for her, but at the same time it came so naturally, like he was born to play his role beside her, whether she was Ladybug or Marinette or whether he was Adrien or Chat Noir.

He cast a glance at her, her face bathed in the moonlight, eyes reflecting the stars above and he felt his breath hitch. _This_ was why he loved her. Here, on the Eiffel Tower it was easy to believe she was something seraphic, something out of his reach, unattainable. But then she'd catch him looking at her, like she did now and instead of frowning or berating him, she'd smile and he'd know that she was still his.

"What are you looking at kitten?" She teased.

"A goddess." The words spilt from his lips before he could stop them. Two years or even six months ago she would have laughed and shot him down immediately. But times had changed and they had changed. So tonight, she placed her hand over his, a blush decorating her cheeks as she giggled. He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"What was that for?" She asked.

He shrugged and turned his eyes back to their city. "Just because I love you."

* * *

 **Ah, young love, no? Adrien, you're such a romantic you need to stop. Please. Just kidding don't stop ^_^**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Review for me because I require attention**

 **19-Tears**


	19. 19-Tears

**I hope you flowers appreciate that I gave up my sleep for this xD Just kidding, I wanted to.**

 **19-Tears**

 **"Chat!" Her begging became louder, more desperate.**

* * *

His foot caught on the railing and he launched forwards spectacularly, landing face first onto the terrace. Strangely, face landed on something cool and smooth rather than the rough stony surface he was expecting. Chat raised himself up slightly and looked down at his landing pad curiously before recoiling in shock and mortification. He was looking at the sleeping form of his classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng through the glass hatch on her terrace. He was about to stand and bolt for the closest roof top that did not give him a clear view of a sleeping _female_ classmate, but before he could he saw her twitch suddenly, her face contorting into a grimace. Her mouth opened and moved in words he could not hear. Panic took over her features and he inched closer to view her better. The rational part of his brain screamed at him to leave because watching a classmate sleep was definitely high up on the list of creepy things people shouldn't do but he shut it down as he caught a whimper slip from her teeth. She was laying on her side, curled in on herself tightly, one hand clutching at her chest while the other extended into the air desperately reaching for something he couldn't see. It struck him then how small she was her knees tucked up to her chest, tiny porcelain hands with adorable chubby fingers with slightly damp hair that stuck to her face and long lashes that threw shadows on her face. If it weren't for the ugly twisted expression, Chat thought she could have been the perfect model for his father's sleepwear line. Her fingers flexed as she made a grabbing motion, fingers closing only on air and he heard her cry out through the glass.

"Chat!" Her voice cut through the glass and through him, piercing his heart. Was she dreaming about him? She called for him again and with a jolt he realised she was having a nightmare. "Chat!" Her begging became louder, more desperate. His heart ached and his fingers stretched out to lift the hatch. Inner Adrien screamed at him and his fingers paused. What was he doing? Her body thrashed suddenly, her hand flew out and hit the railing on the side of her bed hard enough to bruise, he winced. "No! No!" She was screaming now. His conscience fell silent and he opened the hatch without hesitation this time. He dropped down onto her bed silently and she cried out again. She didn't react to his presence and he knelt beside her. _Now what?_ He ached to soothe her, but how could he when he'd just come into her room, uninvited, while she was sleeping? He watched her, torn but when he saw tears roll down the bridge of her nose something inside him snapped and he slid one arm underneath her, bringing her up into a sitting position, cradling her to his chest tightly. The effect was instantaneous. Her sobs quietened and her body relaxed. Her fingers still flexed looking for something to grab onto and he slipped his fingers between hers. She gripped them tightly and he winced, unable to help but wonder if she might break his fingers by accident.

"Chat." He looked down at her; her eyes were open but unfocused. Before he could say anything she wound her hand around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Was she still sleeping? "Chat." Her voice was muffled by his body and he began to panic. He hadn't even thought about moving but he had and now was in a very awkward situation. What if she woke up? What if his transformation wore off? But on the other hand… He glanced down at her face again. The agonized expression was gone, replaced by only a knitted brow; her body had relaxed against his, she'd stopped shaking and she seemed content. Two fingers slid down his neck and hooked into his suit above his bell. He looked around for a way out in case he needed one, but he could tell she wasn't about to let go of him anytime soon. "Chat?"

"I'm here." He answered without thinking and she pulled back, glassy eyes blinking up at him but not really seeing him.

"I was so worried." She breathed, his heart clenched painfully. This made absolutely no sense because she hardly even knew him as Chat and yet... And yet her tears had dried, leaving trails on her cheeks. And yet, her hands were desperately clinging to his collar and twined in his hair. And yet, as soon as he'd touched her, her breathing had slowed from frantic panting to slow, peaceful breaths. And yet, hadn't she cried out for him in her sleep in a blind panic? The same way he called for Ladybug when she was in danger? Maybe she had nightmares like he did. Ones that felt so real that they haunted you all day and made it hard to sleep. Ones that reeked of death and loss that meant he was afraid of the dark. Dinosaurs featured prominently in his dreams as of late and he wondered what kind of dreams she was having to be screaming for someone she barely knew.

Marinette tucked her head under his chin her hands sliding from his neck to rest on his chest instead, palm flattened over his heart. She didn't move for several moments and he assumed she'd fallen asleep. He was proved right when his ears twitched, picking up her heartbeat that slowed to a regular rhythm, her hand turned limp and slipped further down his torso. His ears flattened against his skull, his tail flicking anxiously. _What was he supposed to do now?_ He was holding her in such a way that if he moved even slightly, he'd jostle her and, without knowing if she was a light sleeper or not, it was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not when the dark purple bruises under her eyes leered at him. He wondered if this was a regular occurrence for her, being woken by nightmares. Did she often scream his name in a broken voice? Did she dream of him, thrashing against the sheets as she reached for him, fingers closing in on only air? Did she wake up at 2am and lie awake, as he did, not game enough to go back to sleep, lest the nightmares return to eat him alive? The thought made his chest ache and prickle with a dangerous emotion that he knew he shouldn't feel for his classmate. His arms tightened around her and he nuzzled the side of her face, a high distressed whine escaping his lips. He didn't want Marinette to hurt like that, not for him, he didn't deserve it. He shifted his grip from her back so he could use one hand to stroke her hair. It fell through his fingers like water, the inky strands shining like silk under the dim glow of her lanterns and Chat wished, not for the first time that his costume didn't have gloves.

He wasn't sure if Plagg had heard his thoughts or if he'd had enough, because there was a flash of green and he was Adrien again, and Marinette's hair felt as soft as it looked. She let out a shuddering sigh and nuzzled him, her hand falling off his chest and into her lap. Slowly, carefully Adrien lowered her onto the bed, cradling her neck and head so it didn't roll back, he settled her onto the mattress. He wriggled his arm out from between her back and the bed, trailing his other hand down her cheek before pulling away. The second his hand left her face, before he could ask Plagg to transform him back into Chat Noir, Marinette whimpered, high-pitched and desperate, and her hands curling in her sheets, breathing hard and fast. Without thinking-he really needed to start thinking actually, that's how he got himself into these situations to begin with-and he grabbed one of her hands. Her fingers curled around his immediately, her body uncoiled slowly and her breathing slowed. Adrien let out a hiss of frustration. How was he supposed to go home if she kept panicking the second he relinquished contact? It wasn't that he minded if he had to stay the night, in fact, he wouldn't mind at all, Marinette was warm and soft and she smelled good and her bedroom was nice and homely unlike the clinical feel his bedroom had. So, no, it wasn't the prospect of a sleep over that made him anxious, it was that she had _no idea_ that he was in her room right now. Sure, she'd seen him earlier, but it was unlikely that she'd remember that she had _seen_ him given the way her eyes had glazed over him. Even through his lack of knowledge about social etiquette, he knew that staying in a girl's room, uninvited while she was totally oblivious wasn't exactly encouraged.

Her frown had returned and he placed his thumb in the center of her eyebrows and stroked upwards to smooth out the lines while his other hand struggled to maintain steady circulation in Marinette's grip. "What do I do Plagg?" He whispered, not taking his eyes off the sleeping girl.

Plagg yawned and floated over to her head, examining her face critically. "She's cute." He stated.

" _Plagg_." The Kwami ignored his charge and settled on Marinette's pillow beside her ear and closed his eyes. "Hey, get off her!" Adrien hissed. Plagg opened his eyes and rolled them at the blond.

"Relax sh-" Plagg's eyes landed on Marinette again and the black Kwami froze.

"Plagg?" Adrien frowned at his odd behaviour. "What is it?"

"Her earrings are nice." Plagg said vaguely before unwillingly tearing his eyes away to focus on Adrien instead.

"What? Oh, she... wears them all the time." Adrien shook his head. "That's irrelevant. What am I supposed to do?" He moved his hand from her eyebrows to trace the bridge of her nose instead, before jerking his hand away as he realized that no matter how soft and lovely her skin was, he really shouldn't do that because it's weird no matter how you look at it. Even if her freckles were adorable and he was struck with a strange urge to touch each and every of them. Plagg's gaze was now focused on something behind Adrien's shoulder, but when the boy turned to look, there was nothing but a flash of red, a trick of the light he supposed. " _Plagg_!" Adrien said as loud as he dared. The Kwami's eyes snapped to the model's face.

"What?"

"What am I supposed to do? I can't leave her here on her own; she's freaking out whenever I move away from her. And she's so exhausted..." His fingers found the bags under her eyes unbidden and he hastily moved them away again before chiding himself for being creepy.

"Get comfortable kid." Came Plagg's muffled response.

Adrien looked up from Marinette's face to find Plagg nestled in her fringe, blending in perfectly with her dark hair. "What?"

"You're too nice to let her suffer and I wouldn't let you leave her alone anyway. Might as well get comfy." His words were slow and deliberate as if to make Adrien understand.

"What do you mean you wouldn't let me leave her anyway?" He asked, frowning.

One green eye peered at him through Marinette's hair and the Kwami patted her cheek affectionately. "Look at this small cinnamon roll. So precious, so pure." He mumbled sleepily as he nuzzled Marinette's face, sniffing at her hair.

Adrien choked on his own spit before rolling his eyes. "I told you to stop using my Tumblr. And don't sniff her, it's weird."

"You smell her all the time at school!" Plagg argued. "Whenever she walks past you take a big ol' whiff, don't pretend you don't! I see you do it. And so does Nino." Plagg shook his head and ignored Adrien's spluttering protests. "And besides, I told you to get comfy kid. She's having nightmares, help her out a bit; she's your friend right?"

Adrien hesitated before kicking off his shoes and sliding an arm under her shoulders, curling his elbow so he could grip her shoulder. What he didn't expect was for Marinette to roll over, slinging a leg over his and pushing her nose into his stomach mumbling 'good kitty, time for naps' as she did so. He froze as she shifted but the moment their torsos came into contact her breathing slowed into a deep-sleep rhythm, her body and face relaxing, tension leaving her, her fingers lightly curled, hand resting on his chest and her cheek was pressed into his stomach. Plagg floated over and resettled in her hair, kneading her temple for a few seconds before curling up into a ball and falling asleep instantly. Adrien's eyes fluttered closed and he moved his hand to rest on hers, their fingers loosely intertwined. Slowly their breathing and heartbeats became synchronized as he too, for the first time in a long time, slept without dreaming.

* * *

 **Ah, my cutie-pies, how I love them.**

 **I'm afraid I must make a sad(?) announcement. In a few days I will move out of my parent's house and into university accommodation so I can being my first year of tertiary education. This does not mean the end of Mon Minou. Oh, no. I definitely intend on seeing this through to the end (and beyond? ;) But updates may be a little slower. I'll thank you in advance for your patience (even though Hawkdaddy calls us the 'impatient ones) and I hope you'll continue to stick with me as I finish this series! :)**

 **On my Tumblr; LastRoseOfSpring, you can find drabbles, requests and gifts that I've written (under the tag 'spring writes') and perhaps I'll post info about updates and WIPs about Mon Minou there until updates become regular again. My ask box is always open and you can find amazing Mon Minou artwork there too!**

 **20-My Inspiration**  
 **Hmm... I wonder what this will be about? Any ideas my flowers?**

 **xx**


	20. 20-My Inspiration

**Hey hey! Did you miss me? I'm all moved in and classes have started and I'm already sleep deprived! Here comes chapter 20! Also, hit me up on Tumblr (Lastroseofspring) so we can scream about the Origins and season finale yeah?**

 **20-My Inspiration**

 **She spun the pencil in her fingers so the lead touched the blank page. Her fingers moved frantically across the page as she raced to keep up with the ideas churning in her mind.**

* * *

Working out the kinks in any design was challenging, but this dress in particular had Marinette stumped. The Paris-wide fashion show for the Agreste Winter Collection was approaching and since she'd turned 17 last year, she was no longer eligible for the junior category and instead was placed in the 17-25 age group. Most of the contestants were much older than she was, many even studied design, art and or textiles at university which meant she was at a distinct disadvantage. To make matters worse, against her better judgement she'd gone online and searched the winning garments from last year's show to investigate her competition. After five minutes of scrolling and finding nothing but flawless, significantly superior pieces, her heart had plunged to her feet and her fingers itched to tear out the current design on the open page of her sketchbook.

It wasn't that she hated her design, in fact, she loved it. The tiny detailing that she'd spent days designing, the embellishments that would have to be hand sown onto the dress right down to the corset-style ribbons that laced the back together, she loved all of it, but... Her eyes flickered to the open web-page on her computer, last year's elaborate winning design burning into her eyes. She hissed in frustration-an annoying habit she'd picked up from Chat-and threw her arms onto the table. There had to be something that she could do, something she could change that would make her dress the star of the show and guarantee her first place. Something that would totally transform her name into something that was worthy of being written in the stars. Her head slipped onto the desk as her thoughts faded slowly into darkness, the moon outside her window lighting her room with a soft glow. It was the kind of light that reminded her of leather, sweat and sweet-smelling roses that only bloomed at night, in the presence of secret friendships that were confined to rooftops. The kind of light that reminded her of bad jokes and stray cats that like to cuddle. Piercing green eyes and a Cheshire-cat smile followed her into her sleep.

* * *

"Marinette." He is standing at the end of the street, voice unusually gentle, his back to her. With a jolt, Marinette realises he is wearing regular clothes, his messy hair devoid of his trade-mark cat ears which means he's not transformed. He is wearing a green shirt, the kind of dark green that made Marinette think of forests with overgrown shrubbery and wild animals. It's a button up with a collar and she wonders how she can tell that from the back, but then he moves and her eyes are drawn to his legs instead, casually crossed over one another as he lifts his arms to support his head as he stretches. It's frustrating her that he's still facing away from her, he called her name, and he knows she's there. So, why won't he look at her? The street is empty, and even if there were others around, no one would know he was Chat if he were to turn and face her, no one except her and it hurts her to know that even now, he won't face her without his mask.

"Marinette my Princess." His voice is still soft, with that annoying sing-song tone he uses when he's about to get his way. "Have you come to see the cat… walk?"

"What do you mean by that?" She said instead of giving him the satisfaction of groaning at his pun.

"Do you want to see?" For some reason his words feel suggestive, heavy and layered, like there's something else beneath them and it's not just the fact that he's not wearing a mask. It's something else that she can't name.

Silence ensues and he doesn't move, his button-up hitched up at the back, revealing a strip of tanned skin, muscles flexed due to his pose. A sharp intake of breath startles her and it takes her a second to realise it came from her.

"Yes." The word is a breath and she wonders if it was audible since he's so far away and not transformed right now, but when his position changes, arms falling to his side, his stance widening she knows he has heard. He moves to turn but before he can, the street plunges into darkness before the lights lining the streets flicker on, illuminating only the asphalt, like a runway. She can still see his back, he hasn't turned around yet but as she watches, his body swings as if in slow motion, the bottom of his shirt flapping as he does so, his face is blank, black and Marinette doesn't know whether to scream or laugh but as he walks-or is he stalking?-closer, she can see that his features are just hidden by the poor lighting and when he moves closer, she will be able to see his face properly. His walk is like his namesake, practiced, precise and graceful without a wasted movement.

He reaches the middle of the street, halfway to her and as he steps into the light he spins in a full circle once, shirt flying around behind him as he sheds it mid-turn and he is enveloped in green and white before his face is thrown into the light. Marinette takes a step back in disappointment. He has transformed, his cat ears and mask firmly in place as he finishes walking towards her. She casts her eyes resolutely to the ground, unable to look at him. Of course he wouldn't show her his face, he didn't know she was Ladybug and they only met three times a week on her balcony, talking until the sun rose and each time he left he promised to leave earlier next time so she could sleep, but he never had come through with that promise quite yet. It wasn't like they were friends… Expect they are. She can feel him, the heat radiating from his body warming her, she never could quite figure out how he managed to be so warm all the time, perhaps he naturally had a higher temperature than she did? Two fingers slip beneath her chin and tilt her face up. And up. He was tall, she noticed. When had that happened?

"Did I disappoint you Princess?" With a voice like silk and eyes boring holes into her soul she saw no reason to lie.

"I thought I would see your face."

He laughs and something strikes her in the chest, tight and painful. Something she'd sealed herself against. Feelings.

"In due time Princess. I promise." His hand slides around her face to cup her cheek, index finger skimming her jaw. "May I make a request?" When she nods, he steps back and bows, holding one hand out in an offering. "Dance with me?"

It is then she notices that though his mask and ears are the same, the outfit he'd transformed into is not. Black dress pants married with a green silk dress shirt, untucked and not buttoned up all the way, the designer in her knows she should be revolted by the silk, but it hangs on him just right, and the lack of tie and 'v' of skin revealed is enticing. She takes his hand and without missing a beat, he kisses her knuckles and pulls her into his chest, hand landing on the respectful spot on her hip, the other ungloved hand holding hers delicately like it is the most precious thing he has ever touched. She glances down at her feet to check her steps as they move into a slow waltz and immediately bursts into laughter when she sees his heeled dress shoes.

"They make me look taller." Chat grins as a way of explanation, no apology in his voice.

"I love to dance." Marinette giggles breathily after the music changes for the fifth time. Chat slows them down from the energetic swing dance and repositions her for another waltz instead. She rests her head on his chest, ear pressed to the spot over his heart, their bodies flush. His eyes catch hers.

She doesn't see him move in but she feels his breath warm her cheeks as he speaks. "And I love you."

* * *

Marinette jolted awake, smacking her head on the desk as she fell onto the ground. She placed a hand on her chest to quell her erratic heart rate. _Dream._ It was just a dream. Except for that one time when they'd danced in the rain on her balcony. That was different. And why had he been a civilian in the beginning of the dream? That was so strange and his transformation had been flawless as he'd turned, she'd only managed to catch a glimpse of cheekbone before he'd turned back into the Chat Noir she knew and lo- She shook her head violently and stood, using the edge of the desk to steady herself, her arms shook under the pressure of keeping herself upright until she managed to flop back into the desk chair. Sighing, her eyes found her sketchbook and the plain pink dress that would barely get noticed, let alone win first place. Sipping at her now cold tea, she tapped the eraser of her pencil on the page, mind wandering back to the dream. Chat standing with his back to her, walking over slowly, his transformation mid- Marinette froze. Transformation mid-turn. She spun the pencil in her fingers so the lead touched the blank page. Her fingers moved frantically across the page as she raced to keep up with the ideas churning in her mind.

* * *

The next major heart attack Marinette had in relation to the contest was when she found out that the designs weren't actually going to be on mannequins out the back for only VIP people to view. Instead, they had their own segment in the fashion line-up, something new that the Agreste brand was trying out this year. And even worse, the designers had to model their own designs.

"Oh my God, Alya, this is going to be so awful, I'm going to fall and what if I-"

Alya-who was used to Marinette's hysterics at this point in their friendship-had tuned out her friend's whining, preferring to leave her to herself for a few minutes to get it all out of her system before attempting to reason with her. Adrien on the other hand, was hovering over her like a bee trying to land on a flower.

"Quit fussing, she'll be fine in a few minutes." Alya mumbled, not taking her eyes off her phone screen.

"But…" He stepped closer to try and place a comforting hand on Marinette's back, but she moved away and began flipping through her sketchbook with such force he thought she might tear the pages accidentally. "She's panicking." He finished.

"She'll be fine." Alya stood and stretched, popping her shoulders and sighing in satisfaction. "There's Nino, I'll be back later okay?" She slung her bag over her shoulder and raced down the steps to talk to her boyfriend.

Two small hands gripped his shoulders with such ferocity he winced. "It's going to be a disaster!" Marinette wailed.

He pried her hands off his shoulders and sighed before adopting Alya's tactic of speaking objectively when Marinette was freaking out. "It's not going to be a disaster Marinette." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles reassuringly. She didn't react to the contact and instead her face adopted several emotions before finally settling on panic again. He gripped her hands tighter, rubbing circles over the back over her hand and tracing her knuckles. "What exactly is the problem?" He asked. "I'll help you I promise."

Her eyes darted down to their joined hands, pupils dilating rapidly. He hastily let go, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly but before he could apologise she spoke. "I'll trip."

He dropped his hand to his side and looked at her peeking up at him through her lashes, she was worrying at her bottom lip, looking utterly desolate. His mouth twitched and he burst into laughter. Marinette made an indignant sound in the back of her throat and huffed in embarrassment before turning away.

"No, no. Mari." He reached out and took her wrist, his fingers easily wrapping around it. "I'm not laughing at you I promise." She frowned deeply and he grinned. "Well, maybe a little, but it's so easy to fix that. I swear." Gently he pushed her fringe back behind her ear so he could see her face better, he left his palm on her face so she had to meet his eyes. "I'll help you okay? Don't worry so much."

* * *

Saturday came with two hours of instruction from Adrien; on how to walk, how to compose your expression, and how to pose at the end of the runway.

"Like that?" She asked.

"Ah, close." Adrien frowned and tilted his head to the side in thought. "Because you're… well… a girl… you need to uhm…" He wiggled his hips from side to side before he demonstrated the way he wanted her to walk. Marinette held up her hand to stifle a giggle. "Don't laugh." He whined, but the smirk tugging at his mouth told her he wasn't really mad. He flapped his hands at her in a 'go ahead' gesture as she attempted to mimic him. Marinette squared her shoulders and lifted her chin before placing on foot in front of the other as she sashayed across the room. Adrien felt his mouth dry as his eyes locked onto her hips which were swaying enticingly as she walked. It was exactly the walk he'd demonstrated but with her delicate hips, trim waist and shapely… figure, Marinette was a walking grenade and he'd just pulled the pin. _Just what do you think you're doing? Don't address her part of her with such vulgarity_ , _she's your friend for God's sake! But her hips… Stop it Adrien._ She turned at the end of the make-shift runway and pulled a silly pose before flopping onto his white couch.

"Are we done yet?" She whined.

"We're done when I say we're done." He chirped happily, offering her his hand so he could pull her to her feet.

At two, Adrien walked Marinette home, taking the longer route and passing by the pop-up shops on the corner of the street. Mid-sentence, Marinette stopped speaking with a gasp.

"Oh. Wait here." She turned and patted his shoulder hard. "Wait, wait, I'll be right back I promise."

He watched as she raced into an open stall. Odd, he didn't think Marinette wore jewellery, other than her earrings he'd never seen her wearing any. His eyes found her as she chatted to the store owner, who after a moment, nodded and placed something in a small brown paper bag in exchange for a few euro. She returned to him, grinning broadly, the small bag clutched to her chest protectively.

"What did you get?" He asked her as they began walking again.

"Oh, nothing much." She said breathlessly. "Just a necklace to go with my dress for the competition."

"Can I see?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I can't spoil _anything._ I mean, you're totally trustworthy I know, but…" They rounded the corner and stopped outside the bakery, Adrien found himself once again wishing the walk from his house to hers wasn't so short. Although it did make it easier to see one another during the week. She reached up and tugged his shoulder down, putting her lips right beside his ear to whisper, "The walls have eyes and ears." He felt his face flush as her breath tickled his ear, her cheek brushing his as she withdrew. She raised an eyebrow and giggled at his expression. "Don't worry too much, you're coming to the competition, you'll see it then anyway."

"Ah," Adrien coughed, in an attempt to regain some control over himself, before raising an eyebrow and casting his forearm over his eyes dramatically, leaning into her heavily but not enough to make her fall. "But Mari, I thought we were friends!"

She giggled again, holding the back of her hand to her mouth to try and quiet them. A soft smile of affection spread on Adrien's face, one that would have made his Kwami gag in repulsion. "We are I promise, but it's a secret."

Adrien sighed loudly and straightened up. "Okay." He said with a sniff. "I understand."

"Ah don't be like that!" She laughed, pushing his shoulder affectionately. "Can I make it up to you with a croissant?"

"Yes." Adrien opened the door to the bakery, placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside. "Yes you can." He said over her giggles.

After they shared pastries, she made her way upstairs, him following closely behind.

"So I do get see what you're working on?"

"No. But…" She sighed in defeat. "I _do_ need an assistant to hold some stuff for me while I measure." Adrien watched as she dug around in her sewing draw, withdrawing a fine needle and black thread. She flitted to the other side of the room, pulling out two long pieces of ribbon, one black and one gold. She handed the ends to him without ceremony. "Hold."

Used to being ordered around when she was in the zone, Adrien obediently held the ends together as she made quick work of pinning them together under his fingers. When she moved closer to him, facing away, her shoulders nearly brushing his chest as she held the ribbon at her left breast, looping it over her shoulder, he almost forgot how to breathe. When she reached behind her to move his hand-or rather the ribbon-to the middle of her back, he fumbled with the ribbon, nearly dropping it and dislodging the pins. Marinette cast him a strange look before adjusting the ribbon at her chest and sticking a few pins in it to mark the length. "You okay?" She asked, taking the ends from him.

"Yeah, no, you're fine-I mean I'm fine!" He resisted the urge to smack his forehead. He'd been friends with Marinette for two years now. When had the tables turned, reducing him to a stuttering mess around her while she now navigated through their conversations with ease? He nearly snorted in amusement. He knew _exactly_ when the dramatic shift in their dynamics had occurred. It was the same day he realised that Marinette's eyes were bluer than the summer sky and that when she laughed they sparkled. It was the same day he noticed that her eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks when she blinked and that her hair wasn't black, but the most peculiar shade of blue. Actually, it wasn't that day. It wasn't the day he realised that Marinette was in fact, very cute. It was probably a few weeks after that when he realised he'd developed the biggest, most _inconvenient_ _crush_ on his friend. He'd been in a panic for the rest of the week, becoming hyper-aware of Marinette and her every move. Convinced she would notice the rapid increase of his heart as it hammered against his chest. It was most inconvenient because they'd (meaning their group of four) had finally adjusted to Alya and Nino being an item, and now he'd developed a big, stupid crush on her, which would of course, shift the dynamics of their group again if anyone found out.

Adrien watched her as she hummed to herself, making tiny lines on the gold ribbon in lead pencil before she plopped onto the floor, legs crossed, tongue out as she flattened the two lengths of ribbon together, moving them side-by-side for a reason he didn't understand. _Stupid big, fat, annoying crush. Stupid beautiful Marinette with her perfect hair and sparkling eyes and precious smile and oh, her cute cheeks. I kinda want to squish them… Stupid lovely freckles and that god-damned stupid, adorable butt-wiggle!_

"You've got that weird smile on your face again." Her voice snapped him out of his reverie, he shook his head to clear it as his eyes zeroed in on her hands, now sewing the ribbons together, back to back.

"Do I?" He asked, not taking his eyes off her hands as her nimble fingers threaded the needle through the two pieces of material.

She didn't even look up from her work. "Yep. You're thinking about something weird again aren't you?" His eyes flashed to her face, her _stupid_ playful smirk in place, and he grinned.

"Yep." His grin grew wider as she snorted.

"Anyway. You have to leave now." She jerked her head in the direction of the trapdoor. "You know I like having you around, but you're the son of the judge."

"I have zero power over the winner." He pouted

"I know." She didn't elaborate but her fingers slowed.

"So?"

She put her needle down and stood, placing her hands on his shoulders. It surprised him, usually she didn't get up once she'd started working. In fact, once she'd been sitting for nine solid hours as he, Nino and Alya watched movies, she'd eaten and drunk whatever they'd put to her lips and mid-way through a movie, Alya had to forcefully remove the materials from Marinette's hands so she wouldn't pee herself. She had no concept of eating, sleeping, drinking or peeing when she was working. "So no peeking."

"That doesn't make any sense!" He protested.

"I really want it to be a surprise." She pouted and he winced.

"Ah! Marinette, don't use that face at me, Manon said you're only allowed to use it for good, not evil."

The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement but she composed her expression quickly and her eyes watered. "I really, _really_ want it to be a surprise Adrien."

The blond groaned in defeat. "Okay, okay." Marinette perked up instantly and began shoving her friend towards the door without much success. She grunted in frustration and to make her feel better, Adrien shifted his weight so it appeared like she was successful in moving him. "What if I stay in the corner and play video games?" He laughed as she shook her head, opened the hatch and pointed at it vehemently. His mouth twisted into a lop-sided grin, the one he reserved only for her. "I know, I know. I'm leaving." He didn't move and for a second confusion flitted across her features as he leaned in pausing for a second before touching his lips to her cheek quickly. "Later Mari." He darted down the stairs, bidding a hurried goodbye to Sabine and Tom as he rushed to his house, cursing Marinette and her stupid, _perfect_ lips that he had very nearly kissed.

* * *

Marinette's good mood went downhill very quickly from that afternoon onwards, leading to the moment she was in right now, a black cover over her and her dress, shielding it from the other contestants backstage as people bustled around her, paying her next to no mind. The winner from last year, Désirée Roussel, was scheduled to go last, almost like a finale piece for their particular segment, which would have been no problem at all, except that Marinette was slated to walk immediately before her. She couldn't tell if it was due to her talent-her taking out _every_ title in the junior category and placing anywhere from second to fifth in the all the smaller 17-25 age group competitions Gabriel Agreste had held that year-or because of the saying, "If you want to show how round a circle is, put it beside a square," and as the youngest in this category with little to no real experience, who else would provide the perfect square to Désirée's circle? Like every other contestant, Désirée donned an oversized black sheet, which was to be removed seconds before they emerged onto the runway (the reason being that last year someone's outfit was ruined due to jealousy), but unlike the others, she stood with her nose in the air, looking down at the other designers, even the paid ones that were part of the actual show. Her voice was nasally and it grated on Marinette's ears as the brown-haired woman continued her spiel on the benefits of veganism.

"Psst." A low hissing sound from the left caught Marinette's attention and she turned her head to search for the source of the sound. "Psst. Here." She spied it at the catering table, two bright green eyes gleaming back at her from under the table cloth and she stifled a giggle before walking over.

"Adrien?" She laughed quietly, throwing a glance back at the contestants. "What are you-oof!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her under the table with him. "Hey." He grinned at her before the cloth flopped back into place, throwing both of them into darkness. They crouched together, Adrien's spine hunched over so his head didn't hit the underside of the table which would alert people to their presence.

"What are you doing? You'll ruin my dress!" She tried to sound irritated but it was obvious he knew she wasn't _really_ annoyed. She felt his hands on her shoulders.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck." He whispered. "But I know you don't want the others to think you're… you know… using me to win or anything so I had to make sure they didn't see me."

Marinette coughed into her hand. "So dragging me _under a table_ was your next best option?" She almost rolled her eyes but then remembered he couldn't see her. She felt him lean in, his breath warming her face and his hair tickling her ear. She felt very grateful for the dark so that he couldn't see her blush.

"Chloe's here somewhere." He whispered in her ear.

"Oh. Want me to rescue you?" She replied. Turning her head towards his voice was a bad idea, their noses bumped and sent shivers down her spine.

 _Too close! Danger!_ His mind screamed at him. It would be scarily easy to kiss her, their lips millimetres apart in the dark. But that would ruin their friendship and it didn't help that she smelt sweet, like vanilla and strawberries and that the stupid part of his brain demanded to know if she tasted like that as well.

"Nah." He quickly lifted up the table cloth and pulled her out, ensuring that the black sheet stayed in place over her dress. He pulled her into a quick hug. "Good luck Marinette." He whispered before withdrawing and disappearing back into the fray with a wink.

The wait was awful, designer after designer shed their sheets and stepped out onto the platform, more often than not met with applause and sounds of approval that mingled with the rapid clicking of camera shutters. The man in front of Marinette- Fabrice-stepped up behind the curtain after giving her a reassuring pat on the back. The woman before him exited the stage, her purple pantsuit gleaming under the flash of light that disappeared when the curtains swished closed. Fabrice peeled off his sheet to reveal a striking three piece suit that made her sick to her stomach. No way was she good enough to compete with that. He disappeared in a rustling of fabric, leaving Marinette alone with last year's winner.

"I love it when amateurs go before me." Désirée hissed in her ear. "Not that I need help to look superior, but it's always nice to be reminded how great I really am." She leaned away from Marinette with a sinister giggle. The dark haired girl turned around, fire flashing in her eyes. "I've been making nice with Gabriel all week. _And_ my mother is a designer." Marinette held her hand to her mouth as she let out a pretty giggle. "What's so funny?" Désirée snapped.

"I was just thinking, you'll never be the man you mother is." Marinette shrugged sweetly and the assistant beside her snorted before hastily rearranging his features into something more neutral as Désirée glared.

"My mother is not a man!" She hissed.

"Really?" Marinette smiled and feigned surprise. "And here I thought she's where you got all your lovely masculine features from, though your hair is definitely an exception." At this, Désirée smirked and patted at her carefully arranged curls. "I have no idea how you managed to make them come out of your nostrils like that. And your moustache is so well-groomed, you'll have to give my father some tips."

Marinette flashed the twenty year old the biggest and fakest smile she could manage before turning back to the front, Désirée unable to say another word as three assistants descended on Marinette to ensure her make-up and hair was perfect. A stroke of blush and a pull on a too-tight curl later, the song America's Sweetheart started up and Marinette's heart jumped into her mouth as Fabrice returned to his spot behind the curtain, face flushed, a wide grin on his face and the MC introduced her.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 17 years old. Her notable achievements include designing several couture outfits for Rock and Roll singer Jagged Stone and winning several contests in the junior category." Marinette allowed the assistant to help her shed the black sheet as she stepped out onto the runway. "Marinette would like to present her dress _Hei Mao_ , which she has designed and crafted herself." Marinette began her walk. _One foot in front of the other Marinette you can do this_. A few steps in she remembered to school her expression into something photo worthy. She allowed a small smile to slip onto her face as she crossed her legs and swayed her hips slightly, her eyes finding Adrien at the end of the runway.

The music swelled into the chorus- _So kick out the jams, kick up the soul_ -and swallowing her fear, Marinette crossed her foot over too far for a regular step and began the turn. She had exactly seven seconds and once chance to do this right. As she faced the left she reached up and picked at the ribbon behind her neck, undoing the loose bow. Before she could face the back, the ribbon had been untied completely as she peeled the top of her dress down, retying the ribbon-gold side up-at her waist, the ends dangling down. This revealed a second layer of dress, a deep forest green, with a low neckline, that exposed her collarbones, easily hidden by the first layer of black. Soft gasps rippled through the auditorium, as she 'undressed' but Marinette wasn't finished yet. She was facing the back now and she slipped her fingers into the waist band, unclipping a clasp that no-one else could see, in a swift movement, she pulled the skirt up and tucked it in on itself, revealing a shorter, green tulle skirt underneath. Before she completed her turn, Marinette pulled on one end of what had been the black skirt, completely detaching it from the green dress and made two quick movements, reattaching it around her waist to join the black ribbon, another layer of tulle-black this time-joining the first, the now full skirt flying out around her as she spun.

 _I'm not America's Sweetheart._ Once she'd completed her turn, the audience was silent before people began roaring in applause. The new dress was tea length, the skirt made of green and black tulle, a gold stain ribbon tied in a neat bow at her back, the low neckline exposing her collar bones and revealing a thin gold chain with a single charm that was unidentifiable from the audience. She reached the end of the runway and as she willed herself not to trip, she struck an unrehearsed pose that was familiar to many, one hand in the air above her head the other bent slightly towards her waist, she giggled a bit before locking eyes with Adrien momentarily, a large grin on his face as he gave her two thumbs up. She worked her way through the next few poses, the ones she'd rehearsed this time, before channelling her luck to give a final spin, blowing a kiss to the people in front of her and tossing a wink over her shoulder as she sashayed back down the runway, Désirée throwing her a dirty look as she stepped behind the curtain again.

* * *

Marinette sighed happily as she re-adjusted her second-place ribbon on her mannequin. Coming second to Fabrice wasn't too bad. At least she'd beaten Désirée and made something that she could really be proud of. She touched the gold chain around her neck and climbed the ladder to her bed, a tray of sweet treats balanced precariously on her arm as she pushed open the trap door. Chat was already waiting for her, twirling his tail in one hand and leaning against the railing with a large grin on his face.

"Good evening Princess." He stepped forwards and took the plate from her hands and placed it on the ground before reaching out for her and sweeping her up into a crushing hug. Marinette let loose a string of girlish giggles as she returned the embrace. His laughter joined hers and he swung her in a circle before dropping her to the ground so she could stand, but he left his hands on her shoulders and she didn't remove her hands from his chest.

"I came second." She beamed.

"Yes I know." His eyes dropped to the necklace she wore, a thin gold chain with a tiny golden jingle bell that chimed when she laughed. _Hei Mao._

"Are you proud?" She prodded, giving his chest a poke.

Chat smirked and picked her up again, spinning her around several times, her laughter echoing off the brick wall. "Very proud." He adjusted his grip so his hands were clasped together at the back of her knees, her head above his and her hands naturally resting on his shoulders. "You did very well Princess."

"You inspired the dress you know." She grinned down at him, her hair glowing in the moonlight.

"Did I?"

"Hei Mao." She said, touching a finger to the bell on her chest, Chat's green eyes lingered at little longer than strictly necessary and Marinette fought to hide her blush.

"Chat Noir in Chinese." He loosened his grip so she slid down his front slowly, re-tightening his arms when their faces were level, Marinette's feet still not touching the ground.

"Yeah." _Was it his imagination or does she sound breathless?_ "Yeah that's right."

"I didn't think you spoke Chinese." His voice came out lower than he expected, almost as if he were speaking to a lover in the bedroom.

"I don't. But you… you do. You told me when we were playing video games."

"That's right."

He could hear her breathing become irregular, her heart racing against his own. If there was ever a perfect moment to kiss her, now would be it. Her eyelids were lowered, as if she was expecting it, her hands on his chest. But… He couldn't, there was too much at stake if she rejected him. He loosened his grip and her feet touched the ground, her eyes flying open with a jolt. _God damn it Adrien._ Her expression was a mix of shock and something that looked horrifyingly like disappointment. _No._ Her eyes dulled and she looked down at the ground between them. _No, no, no, no._ Her shoulders hunched forwards, the way they did when she was trying to make herself look smaller. When she was embarrassed or afraid. _Not this again, Mari please._

"So, yeah. I um, You… inspired… like your transformation…" _No, don't stutter. Marinette, it's just me. Don't shut me out again._

Panicking, he grabbed her shoulders and gave her the biggest smile he could. "I saw my pose too. I am really flattered Marinette." She spied up at him through her eyelashes. _That's it Mari, look at me._ "The dress was so beautiful…" _Say it!_ _Don't say it!_ _Say it!_ "Just like you." He almost winced at his cheesiness but it had the intended effect, her eyes lit up again as she laughed at him.

"Thanks Chat." She threw her arms around his neck, both bells chiming in harmony, and pressed a firm kiss to his cheek causing him to stumble back in surprise before he righted himself and returned her embrace.

* * *

 **Ah, all done! Let me know what you think by leaving a review! Reviews give me life ^_^**

 **21-Never Again**


	21. 21-Never Again

**I wrote this before I wrote chapter 12,** _ **do you know how long I've been waiting to post this?**_ **I've also written chapter 83 and I really want to upload that one too...**

 **21-Never Again  
Putting little pieces of her heart into each sketch, each line lovingly drawn, caressed onto the page as she breathed life into the lines on paper**

* * *

Marinette stared at the shreds of black and white paper that littered the ground in horror. They didn't stop falling, instead they fluttered through the air like snow, unassuming and harmless unless you knew what those pages contained. As things stood, Marinette knew exactly what had been on those pages, how could she not? She'd spent months on them, perfecting them. Slaving away at the designs in that book, putting little pieces of her heart into each sketch, each line lovingly drawn, caressed onto the page as she breathed life into the lines on paper. The pages and their designs represented her heart, and now, here she stood, paralysed, as her heart was in Chloe's hands, being torn into tiny pieces of confetti. Marinette's ears were ringing, her eyes wide, unable to breathe as piece after piece fluttered to the ground. She couldn't hear the words that she saw Chloe's mouth form and she couldn't stop the fingers with nails like talons from ripping her sketchbook to shreds. Her voice returned too late as a sob tore from her throat followed by a whispered, "Stop." The word had no effect on the blonde girl and Marinette's eyes stung as she saw the sweater she'd designed for Chat disappear into tiny pieces and fall to the ground. "Stop!" Her voice was louder this time, a broken scream that would have shattered her cat's heart if he had heard it, her scream silenced the ringing in her ears and she could now hear Chloe's callous laughter. "Stop!" She screamed, voice now fraught with desperation, unable to move, able only to yell at the cruel, cruel girl in front of her, begging her to stop. The door to the girl's locker room slammed open to reveal Alya, Alix, Nathanaël and Adrien who all stood in the doorway, poised to attack, but completely unprepared for the threat. Surprisingly, it was Nathanaël who reacted first, launching himself forwards towards Chloe and snatching the desecrated sketchbook from her hands.

"You can't be in here!" The blonde snapped at him. "This is the _girls_ locker room." Alya and Alix ran to Marinette. Alya wound an arm around her friend's shaking shoulders, murmuring reassurances while Alix gripped her elbow tightly in a display of support before rounding on Marinette's aggressor.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?" Alix screamed at her, her small hands curling into fists. The blonde girl took a hasty step back, mouth opening and closing without sound. She hadn't expected to be caught.

Adrien advanced into the room and Chloe's face melted into a mask of horror at his expression. _Adrien, your Chat is showing_. Alya thought weakly, rubbing soothing circles between her friend's shoulders, who was still unable-or unwilling-to speak or move. That particular sketchbook, Alya knew, was Marinette's portfolio for a summer internship. She'd been working on it all year and her interview was next week. There was no way that Marinette could both remember and re-create hundreds of designs in less than a week to re-build a portfolio, much less one that she would be satisfied with and one would impress Gabirel Agreste and numerous other owners of major fashion labels.

"Chloe, you need to leave. Right now." Adrien sidestepped Chloe, shielding Marinette from view, not taking his eyes off Chloe's. His voice was low and dangerous and his eyes simmered with the protective instinct he'd acquired after forming a close friendship with Marinette. "This will be followed up I assure you." He promised the blonde before turning his back on her. She fled immediately. Alix grabbed Marinette's elbow again and steered her out of the room. The door closed behind the three girls but not before Adrien heard Marinette's horrified whisper. "My folio... She... My portfolio." Her voice broke twice and he felt his heart twist painfully.

Nathanaël stood awkwardly beside him. The reality had just hit him that he had a) stood up to Chloe and b) was standing in the girl's locker room. His face blended into his hair and he felt someone tug on the book, twitching it away instinctively he relaxed after seeing Adrien with his hand outstretched, rather than Chloe and her too-long, too-sharp claws.

"Do you mind if I hold onto it?" Adrien's voice was quiet. Nathanaël relented and reluctantly handed over the book before exiting the room, his embarrassment of being in the girl's locker room finally becoming too much. Adrien flipped it open and winced as though he were physically in pain. They had come too late. The first few pages were saved but they weren't really Marinette's best work. The best designs lay in pieces scattered on the damp floor. Adrien bit his lip. He _knew_ how hard she'd worked on those designs. She'd cried over them, lost sleep over them. He'd caught her, as Chat, hunched over her desk, furiously scribbling in the moonlight at 3am because inspiration had struck, he'd seen her running her hands over and over on different materials mumbling in newly-learnt Chinese, he'd watched as she examined buttons, fussed over lapels, poured her entire heart into those pages, each line on the page had been drawn with love and painstaking care. For a year she'd been building this portfolio and in an instant, a fit of jealousy, it had all been destroyed. His heart ached as he remembered her expression, _her_ heart was in the same condition as her sketchbook and he was determined to fix it. Without a second thought, he tucked Marinette's book into his bag securely and dropped to his knees picking up fragments of her heart.

 _"This one is chiffon, and see how there are different coloured layers? When the model walks, the dress will look like it's changing colour!"_

He placed some of the pages in his bag.

 _"This one I designed with Alix in mind. She's a girl in my class and she hates skirts so I designed this instead."_

Some of the torn pieces were wet and he took extra care not to tear them as he peeled them off the floor.

" _This one is really pretty don't you think Chat? I had to add an extra layer until the skirt to fluff it out a bit and then it was perfect!"  
_  
He finished picking up the pieces and stood, searching for any he might have missed. When he found none, he slung his bag over his shoulder carefully-he had precious cargo after all-and left the room.

* * *

Adrien cursed as another bit of paper slipped and sliced his finger. Angrily he stuck his thumb in his mouth before returning to the task at hand. Taping Marinette's sketchbook back together wasn't easy, not while he had to continually refresh the LadyBlog, inspecting the floor for any signs of an Akuma version of his Princess. But Chloe's outburst had been just after lunch and now it was well into the evening. Skipping fencing and forcing Nathalie to push back all of his appointments wasn't going to win him any points with his father, but he couldn't leave Marinette in the state she'd been in as she left school that afternoon, not for the whole night. He'd finally arranged all the pieces back together page by page, thousands of paper jigsaws carefully lain out across his floor, and now all he had to do was tape the pieces back together. His heart eased as each shred of paper was stuck to another, he felt as though he were binding her heart back together with each piece of tape.

 _Stick_

"I love pink silk!"

 _Stick  
_  
"This one is for Ivan!"

 _Stick  
_  
"Hey kitty, which lapel goes better do you think?"

 _Stick  
_  
Marinette asleep at her desk, mouth open, drooling, and pen held loosely in her relaxed hand, her cheek pressed onto an open page.

 _Stick  
_  
His weekly visits as Chat Noir, punctuated by an excited display of her newest creation.

 _Stick  
_  
"This one is for Adrien! Don't tell him okay?"

 _Stick_

"Don't look you silly cat! It's your Christmas present!"

 _Stick  
_  
Her heartbroken expression.

 _Stick  
_  
Her shaking shoulders.

 _Stick  
_  
Watery blue eyes that threatened to drown him.

 _Stick  
_  
Her heart, her designs were now in his hands, being stuck back together with as much love as with which they had been created.

 _Stick  
_  
And he'd be damned if he didn't fix it for her.

 _Stick_

He'd fix it.

 _Stick  
_  
She'd never make that face again.

 _Stick  
_  
She'd smile again.

 _Stick  
_  
He'd fix it.

 _Stick  
_  
Like she'd helped fix him.

* * *

She was on her balcony when he arrived later that night. Whether she'd been waiting for Chat or whether her room had been suffocating her was unclear, but nonetheless, she was in her deck chair, her knees tucked up to her chest, her face hidden behind her arms and her breathing heavy as she sobbed silently, her shoulders shaking. Adrien hauled himself up through the open hatch and stood for a second deliberating if he should interrupt or not. Interrupting won out as a small sob caught in her breath and he felt the exhilaration at having fixed her sketchbook fade. She was hurting and he shouldn't be caught up in some self-satisfactory deed. She needed him. Adrien placed his bag on the ground and walked over to his friend, standing at the front of the chair.

"Mari." He whispered softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him and he blanched, her eyes were red and puffy, tear-tracks decorating her face in streaks that caught the light, her bottom lip trembling as she gnawed at it in distress. "Oh, Mari." He breathed, crouching beside her. As soon as their faces were level she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Adrien's eyebrows knitted together in pain as she shook, crying in earnest now, he carefully wound his arms around her waist as he squatted awkwardly between her legs.

"It's ruined." She whispered against his shoulder. "How can I go for an interview with no designs to show?"

"Don't cry." He pleaded, patting her back clumsily. "I can't-You… It hurts to see you cry."

She sniffled and pulled away, rubbing at her eye and wiping her nose on the handkerchief he offered. A smile fell onto Adrien's face as a puffy-eyed, blubbering Marinette wiped her snot on his handkerchief, it was stupid and probably not the best thing he could have done, but all he could think about was how this time last year, she couldn't even speak to him and now she was here, so vulnerable in front of him without batting an eye. He chuckled softly and her bright eyes snapped up to his face.

"You're laughing at me." She whispered. Her voice wasn't embarrassed like it would have been last year, no, instead it was annoyed. "This isn't funny!" She shrilled. Adrien's heart thumped at her panic as he backpedalled frantically.

"I'm not laughing at you I swear. I just was thinking about how much closer we've got since last year." It was embarrassing to admit it, but with Marinette, honesty was always the best policy, she tended to give people the benefit of the doubt, but she could in fact, see through lies in a heartbeat. Or maybe just his lies. "I mean last year, you wouldn't have let me see you cry right?" He asked, placing a hand on her knee. "And now you're a big, blubbering, snotty mess." He finished happily, reaching up and swiping away a stray tear.

Marinette rolled her eyes and snorted, pushing his hand away. "You're an ass. Let me wallow in sadness in peace."

"No." Adrien chirped, reaching for his bag. "I bought you a gift and then we're going to go get ice-cream."

"Adr-" Marinette began to complain but Adrien silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"Hush." He whispered. She snorted and then sniffed, dabbing at her nose with the handkerchief.

Adrien reached into his bag and withdrew her notebook. "I don't want to see that right now." Marinette whispered as she reached for it. "But thank you for returning it." She took it from his hands gingerly as though it might try to eat her alive. She ran a finger down the spine. "Did you tape the spine back up for me?" She laughed breathlessly as she opened the book. "Than-" Her word caught and died in her throat as she caught sight of the page she'd opened to. The design had been taped back together and slipped inside a plastic pocket, it was one of the lucky ones she supposed, having only been ripped into a few large pieces. Then she turned the page, staring back at her was the dress she'd designed for a debutante ball, one that Chloe had completely shredded into tiny, tiny pieces and thrown over the drain in the locker room, the one that filtered the water out from the showers. Here it was, dried and whole, clear tape holding the edges together. Something inside her chest twitched painfully and a dry sob came from her throat as she flicked through the pages unbelieving. Each and every page that had been destroyed was here, taped together. Her first thought was how, she traced the lines of a suit over the plastic casing and decided it didn't matter how. Then she remembered the boy in front of her. She looked up at him, his eyes soft, watching her. "Please tell me you didn't." She whispered, her voice cracking.

Adrien's mouth quirked into a smile. "I'm not a liar Mari."

"Oh my god." She clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes falling to the hat design in her lap. Her portfolio contained exactly one hundred and seventy pages, each torn to varying sizes, and not one page was missing, not one piece mismatched. "How?" She choked out, her hands were shaking.

"When you're home schooled, you get to do a lot of jigsaw puzzles. I got really good at them" He grinned at her but his smile faltered at the water in her eyes. "Why are you crying?" He said panicked, hurriedly wiping away her tears. "Don't do that, please Marinette. Don't cry, I'm sorry, don't be mad!" He patted his pockets for another handkerchief. "Marinette, shh, shh, I'm sorry. Please. Don't cry." His voice cracked with anxiety as he pleaded with her and felt his panic ease as the crying stopped.

"Mad?" She whispered. "I'm not mad." Her bottom lip trembled before turning up into a smile. "You stupid, genius thing you." She laughed and threw herself at him, knocking him on his back as she fell onto his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." With each thank-you she kissed his face and with each kiss Adrien felt more and more dazed. _This is a good dream,_ he found himself thinking. He felt her tugging him up into a sitting position, her face glowing with joy and he sighed in relief. She wasn't mad, she wasn't upset and she was smiling again. _Mission accomplished_ , he thought, mentally fist-bumping himself. He grinned and pulled a laughing Marinette into his lap as he leaned against the railing. She sat sideways, her right shoulder pressed against his chest, her legs draped over his right leg, chin tucked beside his head as she rapidly began talking about her deigns. She felt giddy and light-headed, it must have taken him hours and hours to have fixed her book for her. It meant more than he knew, this sketchbook was her life and her heart and Adrien had managed to mend it perfectly.

* * *

 **Woah, this spiralled into double the length! Crazy! Please leave nice reviews for me I'm not feeling too great. Don't forget to hit me up on Tumblr: LastRoseOfSpring**

 **22-Online**


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